You Get to Redo College
The question is simple: if you could go and redo college, what changes/different decisions would you have made in your pursuit of a high finance career? It can literally be anything from which group of friends you surrounded yourself with to what type of internships you did/didn't do, or hell even choosing a different school to go to. Anything that happened/didn't happen during your college career. If you didn't go to college, do you regret it? I'm very interested to here what changes people would make in their path (if any).
Bang more
breaking out of single digit lays has been harder than breaking into wall street
Definitely wouldn't go to a nontarget again -- while I like the larger school feel, the non-existent OCR is a huge pain, and having almost no alumni on the street meant I could count the first rounds I got on one hand. I'd make sure to apply to semi-targets like UMich, UVA, UNC, UT, USC, if I could do it again (wouldn't get into a target with my high school extracurriculars).
I'd also probably have rushed, done an internship every year, and only been in 1 good finance club and 1 fun regular club, instead of being in 4 poor-quality business societies.
Take a gap year between high school and college. Plenty of opportunity to do cool thing during that time and a year of perspective would have been a good thing.
After that hustle and get into a top ivy league school, it's still amazing to me how many opportunities are afforded to people just because of the name of the ugrad institution.
With all that being said, I'm pretty happy with how things have turned out, so no real regrets
Can't believe idaho poured his heart out on this thread and admitted that he's still a virgin. Dude's probably crying in his room right now with a cornstalk way deep in his ass.
I'm thinking I'll go play COD from my mom's basement and yell at the other kids on Xbox Live. I'm gonna turn off my computer too because you can't cyberbully me if I'm not on the internet!
After my first year with a 3.9 gpa, I would have made a transfer from non target FSU to a more target university like Michigan, Virginia, Texas, or UNC. Then I would have dropped accounting all together, and would have focused heavily on that easy joke of a major known as finance. Doing a double major in accounting with the dumbest decision I ever made, and will probably haunt me far down the line when I decide to apply for an MBA. It's the difference between me having a 3.6ish and a 3.18 gpa. lesson learned? It pays to be a winner.
I'd bang OPs Mom.
I'd recognize that college has little to do with learning, and everything to do with credentials and pedigree. My goal would therefore be to get the highest GPA possible in a reasonable major (e.g. business, accounting, econ or something) with the least amount of effort. I would only take the easiest classes with professors that had reputations for being lenient and handing out inflated grades. I would accept nothing less than an A on every test, and would regularly meet with the professor or TA to make sure that happened. If, despite my efforts, it appeared I was going to get below an A, I would drop the course. I would care zero about "looking smart," or trying to prove anything in the classroom because I'd understand that is a colossal waste of time and effort. The only thing that matters is the number next to the letters "GPA".
With all my free time, I would learn real things on the side -- finance, programming, advanced math, etc., but I would do it via online tools like Khan Academy, Coursera, or Udacity, where I could learn using actually effective pedagogical techniques and without worry about tests or damage to my GPA.
I'd also have more time to socialize and enjoy typical college extra curricular activities, which I would to a much greater extent than I did the first time around.
There isn't a better answer on this website, or the internet. This is the answer.
(1) GPA protect (2) Learn core skills via Khan, Udemy, CFI (3) Network like a banshee and fill your resume with internships with name brands. Start your sophmore year. Do it for free if you have to. (4) Join a social fraternity. It means you know how to politic, and have social skills.
I see hundreds of resumes come through the door. At first glance I look at GPA to see it's above a 3.5 (3.3 bare minimum, there are some late bloomers out there), then experience (IB/Finance specific at a place I've heard of). I look to see if they have technical certifications or training in modeling/excel/Office Suite. Then I look to see if they were in a social organization. If they check those boxes, they automatically go in the phone call pile.
Can't tell you how many 3.9-4.0's walk through the door with no relevant experience, or even an idea of what investment banking is. Super smart kids who probably busted their ass for a few cords on graduation day, and not much more.
Be experienced. Be useful. Be social.
As far as schools go, I mean targets get OCIs. However, if you go to a state school (Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Florida, Illinois, etc...) and can check the above boxes I'll take you all day over some kid from an Ivy who has a stick up his ass, no idea what finance is, and no actual skillset. They usually work harder, and stick in banking rather than head out to PE after 2 years. We're getting smarter on this. We're not AAA Private Equity.
Majored in Comp Sci and not have pursued a high finance career
Haven't graduated yet, but wish I would've traveled more (i.e. study abroad, international tour during semester breaks). I know once I graduate and begin working I won't have the time to travel for a couple years. Thoughts from anyone who's studied abroad?
Absolutely study abroad if you can. I'm sure you've heard this before, but literally everyone cites not studying abroad as a major regret. It's almost comical how much I hear it, yet many of my friend and peers still didn't take the opportunity when it arose.
I studied abroad and had a blast, but almost didn't because I was so focused on getting a good job for the summer. My rationale was that getting a BB summer internship was more important, that I could always travel blah blah. Luckily for me, my parents pushed me to go.
When it comes down to it, you're very much unencumbered during your undergrad years and living and studying in another country is a tremendous experience that can almost never be replicated again. People will BS and say that they traveled after graduation so that counts as studying abroad but it really doesn't. Having to live day to day in another country is very unique and undergrad is a perfect time to go and try this out.