Staying positive going back to school after not finding a full-time role
I really hate school and now I have to go back...
Under normal conditions, I tend to go out a lot but COVID ruined that. My senior year was completely lackluster and I'm finding that my courses are barely teaching me anything at this point. I recruited for full-time and had a few interviews but things didn't work out. I figure I'll give it another shot after completing my master's degree but just the thought of a few more semesters of accounting and finance courses fills me with dread. Maybe I'll learn some things that'll help me become a better leader in the future but I feel like that also just comes with more experience.
How do I stay positive about going back to school?
What're you going to study in your Master's programme? Makes an existential difference in where you wind up after .
-
It's a mix of accounting and finance courses.
Why do you have to go to school? Sites like WSO really brainwash kids into thinking there's only one specific path to get where you want. Do some off-cycle internships, maybe some volunteering, traveling, etc. Will be more valuable than dumb business/finance classes.
I don't really have to but I figured it's 1 year and the job market would probably look much better around the time I finish. I'm not sure how much off-cycle internships would help me if they won't convert to full-time especially since I already have 4-5 finance-related internships which include 2-3 front office roles. I'd love to go traveling in Asia and stuff but I'd rather wait to get the vaccine before doing that.
My reason for choosing to do more school was after asking a few people in the industry for their advice, not really WSO. I'll continue to recruit and drop out if I get something I like but I feel like it's not a bad backup plan to just get another degree. If you're going to ask why I didn't just return to the places I interned at, they aren't exactly places that hire out of undergrad.
It could be useful to try and go to a smaller IB firm and lateral into a BB or EB if that's your goal, rather than going back to school.
I would but I don't really see any firms recruiting for new grads right now.
Bump. Literally no one gave any advice on how I can look at this in a positive way.
I've got plenty of ways for you to look at your situation positively, but before I just go on a diatribe about gratitude, perspective, and perseverance, tell me: why, specifically, are you not looking at your situation positively? and please, don't regurgitate your OP, I read it. what about this situation is causing you to have negative thoughts? the lack of going out? the lack of normalcy in college? the lack of intellectual stimulation? bad relationship? lack of finding a full time role? give me specifics, and then we'll get somewhere.
I'm far away from my friends and girlfriend, my social life is almost non-existent right now, and I'm paying to do arbitrary busywork that I'm not interested in.
I'm smart enough where I can learn quickly and get good grades without putting much time or effort in but it just leaves me feeling even more unfulfilled. I guess one good thing about that is I can spend more time doing things that I actually enjoy and get stimulation from, but at the same time, it makes me think more about the opportunity cost of doing all that busywork. Even when lectures weren't prerecorded, it was just instruction and barely any discussion - profs saying shit like "that's outside the scope of this course" or "you won't be tested on that, don't worry about it" just made me want to disengage.
I'm glad you asked that since it made me really reflect for a second. Still, I've come to the same conclusion that school is ass. I've rarely enjoyed it and it has generally just been a means to an end.
this will sound weird, but you sound like me when I was your age. I went through a similar slump, multi year long distance relationship with my now wife, no friends in the city I moved to postgrad (most were still in undergrad or moved elsewhere, people didn't start really coming here until 2y post), classes being boring/unfulfilling/not learning anything. stinks, doesn't it?
now that our pity party is over, let me ask you this. what can YOU physically do about any of this? if you drop out of school, that will only create other problems. if you switch to more intellectually stimulating majors, it may actually derail your career opportunities, and so on. your frustration is likely coming from a feeling of helplessness. you're smart and want to succeed and you feel like you can't be your best self. that mindset has to change.
first things first, make friends with the phrase "this too shall pass." we won't be in this pandemic forever, and even if the world is way different than 2019, you'll be able to adapt so long as you approach it from the standpoint of "what can I do today to make this situation better" instead of just complaining about it. you will eventually get a job, you will eventually see your girlfriend (and even if this one ends, you'll find another), you will eventually hang out with your friends, and you will eventually be intellectually stimulated. as I said, this too shall pass.
it sounds to me like the issue comes mostly from school. lectures suck, you're paying to do busy work you don't care about, etc. well, given that school itself sucks and that it's not the most intelligent idea to just drop out your last semester, ask yourself how can school suck less? maybe it's by taking interesting electives, trying for leadership positions, volunteering, or doing a co-op. or maybe school just totally sucks and you need to minimize its impact to your life. under that scenario, be extra diligent with your time, doing the absolute bare minimum on school work and then create all sorts of things for you to spend time on that are non-school. maybe that's learning a new field, maybe that's networking, maybe it's a little bit of a lot of things, but you must realize that this will pass, and that life is full of busywork that no one wants to do. the sooner you make your peace with that and develop coping mechanisms in the form of things that give you joy, the better.
let me illustrate why I know this to be true. I only talk about the good parts of PWM, travelling to see people whose company I enjoy, autonomy of being an entrepreneur but having the backing of a BB, unlimited income potential, no boss, and so on, but there's SO MUCH BUSYWORK. making calls to people who don't give a fuck about my services, following up on countless outstanding items, managing and leading staff, auditing expenses, planning logistics of said trips, compliance training, compliance training, compliance training, the list goes on (did I mention compliance training?) I don't know what % of my day is busywork, but I know that I don't let it get to me, and I'm betting with the right mindset, you can change your happiness, even if you can't change your circumstances immediately.
"you have power over your mind, not outside events; realize this and you will find strength" Marcus Aurelius
TLDR - develop a mindset of "this too shall pass," realize that everyone has busy work, be deliberate about filling your life with things that give you joy, and make your peace with that which is outside your control
>>Hates accounting and finance
>>Doubling down on finance career
Uh_oh.jpeg
Just school, working and getting paid is much better
Uhhh...school >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> work
not even close
Inventore ut sunt sunt magnam debitis quas. Voluptatibus vero rerum iusto ut deleniti eius. Sint et nam illo totam sapiente. Accusantium nulla debitis dolorum fugiat vel. Aut commodi qui consectetur et vel facilis commodi.
Quo qui asperiores inventore consequatur quis reiciendis. Iusto omnis sunt ratione dolor sunt nihil rerum. Saepe dignissimos perferendis ut eos nihil laborum. Veritatis velit soluta aut alias nesciunt. Dolor distinctio pariatur nobis alias libero assumenda. Est animi enim delectus occaecati et.
Distinctio quos aut aut voluptates consectetur animi eligendi. Officiis recusandae fugit eum odio distinctio animi. Magnam quasi sint expedita ab facere consequatur enim similique. Dolore et consequatur et tempora excepturi quia ullam. Excepturi quisquam quas omnis quo earum. Commodi odio qui ut quaerat placeat earum labore est.
Repellat error sit voluptatibus nihil commodi mollitia non. Alias et sed repellat odio minus. Possimus quidem quibusdam autem ut corrupti esse natus. Officia quia non quis. Rerum asperiores temporibus et labore et.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...