What do you wish you knew as a freshman in college?
What’s up guys! I’m a freshman and Georgetown and hope to have a career in finance. Is there anything you guys wished you knew as a freshman in college? Thank you!
Hey there, future finance whiz! As a freshman, there are a few things I wish I knew that would have made my journey smoother. Here's my top advice:
Don't hesitate to get help if things in a course don't make sense. Don't waste time spinning your wheels. If there's a chance you could get a C or lower, consider dropping the course. You can always make up credits later.
Get your work done early. Your workload in college is lighter than you think. If you cut out procrastination, you'll have more free time than you know what to do with. Try scheduling your classes in the afternoons and use the mornings to get your work done. This frees up your evenings to hang out.
Make use of consultation sessions with professors. They're there to help you, so don't hesitate to clarify your unknowns before workload starts stacking up.
Maintain a balanced lifestyle. Don't feel pressured to attend every party. Know your goals and stay on track towards them.
Take initiative within the college community. Join a club, participate in competitions, network. These activities will make you stand out when compared to other candidates.
Step out of your comfort zone. Socialize in classes, form a study group. This will assist you in achieving good grades and having a solid support group.
Enjoy your freedom. College is a unique period of your life where you have tons of freedom without the usual accompanying responsibility. Take advantage of it. Go to festivals, take trips, hang out with your buddies.
Remember, college is not just about academics, it's also about personal growth and making lifelong connections. So, embrace every moment of it! Best of luck, buddy!
Sources: 5 Steps To Becoming A Rockstar Freshman (Undergrad Advice), List of Things You Should be Doing in Undergrad, What I Wish Every First Year Analyst Knew, 5 things I wish I had known when I was a business undergrad..., 5 things I wish I had known when I was a business undergrad...
Drink as much as possible
Nut as much as possible
Get a perfect GPA.
Go out more
The easiest way to get an A on a paper is to write what the professor wants to hear.
1. Get a 3.7+ GPA (ideally 3.8 to max all interview probabilities)
2. Double majors are pretty much worthless, have one good single major
3. Try a bunch of clubs, even stuff you wouldn't normally think about (rock climbing, barbecuing, etc) that aren't purely academic / career oriented
4. Have fun, the relatively carefree times of college paired with virtually infinite time and freedom with peers of your age group where you all have your health and are experiencing it on the same time-scale....that is once in a lifetime. That never comes back post college, it's the last defined part of the path
5. Make meaningful friendships. I know guys who went to college and can't name 1 good friend half a decade later. I made two of my best friends in college and a half dozen other that I would term good friends all these years later. These have the potential to last a lifetime
Also last thing -- consider what GenAI will do to various parts of finance. A lot of jobs will disappear, you need to figure out what won't. I can't speak to every vertical, but in AM I think I've figured out what I need to do to insulate myself...the landscape will RADICALLY change by the time you graduate. The only high-paying white collar profession that I think is almost totally insulated from Gen-AI downside risk is doctors (not too late for you to change majors if that's a possible path you might like). Even coding is screwed, I've spoken to many sr. folks working in AI / cloud / ML and if you needed 10 jr. devs a year ago, you only need 2-3 today or in a few years. Best of luck
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