Graduating high school - what skills/technicals should I focus on to get a headstart/ bring added value.

Hey WSO,

Idiot student who just graduated high school here, I got into the only semi-targets we have up in Canada (choosing between Western Ivey AEO and Queens commerce). I know I should enjoy my "last summer" as a kid but tbh my situation sucks and I want to get a head start in my technicals heading into the financial world so bear with me.

I have connections in VC and a big3 mc firm, but I don't really feel comfortable leveraging those until at minimum my 2nd or 3rd year.

Before I leave Vancouver I'm looking to access its opportunities before i move away. My options are: - Sneak in a FinTech Startup w/ some friends. - Get a finance related student internship at like Teck or Goldcorp. - Pray that a VC/PE or one of the few regional boutiques feels like teaching a child.

Okay you can laugh now. Obviously i'm incredibly unqualified but hey I have absolutely nothing to lose right now. To prepare myself, trick some company or bring added value i've been making lists of skills to learn and tackling them each one by one.

Ive been learning:

-Python. -VBA w/ excel. -How to make non-degenerate Stock Pitches (to get into Uni investment clubs). -Learning networking from some mentors in the industry

What are some things that I should be focusing on (aside from getting a life lol) that I can work on now to set myself up for success or bring added value as a student. Any opportunities/qualifications for students I should be looking to take advantage of? Any advice is appreciated, and apologies for the open-ended question, just looking for advice heading into this next stage.

Thanks for reading! :DD