COLLEGE MADNESS
Advice for those going to college!
In life we have many expectations of people and always wind
up underestimating their capabilities and our people around us have a way of
over estimating us and misconceiving what we want! I write this post from that standpoint of
someone who flunked his GCSE’s yet got into a Top business School without SAT’s
or TOEFL from a country whose native language is not English. Not only did I get in I got 87% scholarship and
shocked an entire system that was based upon assumptions.
In my days people wanted to become doctors lawyers or businessmen
or women. The reason is because they
wanted to live up to their family legacy and make daddy proud. In the early 80’s Pakistan was innocent to
the fast pace of technology and life was something more meaningful but also
about brand name education. When you
signed on the dotted line you defined your major and that was it. Those days are gone because the times have
changed and so have you!
83.7% of the kids today are struggling to find their inner selves
and there are so many clichés that one has to pick from that a brand name
university or college adds to your problems.
Here is my advice to you if you want to get into a college or a
university! If you do what I suggest I guarantee
that life will be kind to you and irrespective of what people think you will be
happy!
- Define who you are and
what you enjoy doing – People work because they have to work – I work
because I love it. My drive comes
from the satisfaction I get each time I close a sale and to me that is the
ultimate high. Work gives me a high
and I always have a smile because as I enjoy what I do the effort already
comes. Forget what anyone says… find yourself, understand your abilities
and have faith in your capabilities.
Do not underestimate yourself and do not overestimate the future
you will have.
- Once you have found yourself and are deciding on what to study focus on ROI – (Return On Investment) forget the bill mummy and daddy are going to pay consider your investment in time. You will never het that time or 4 years back so when you think of what to study you must make sure that the career path you choose will sustain you for another five years after your graduation. Today the world changes rapidly and what new cellphone you migt want will be redundant tomorrow when you purchase it. In my day you either went for economics medicine or law – today you can get specifications at undergraduate level so pick a field that will grow with time. You should also understand that if you invest in a skill based degree then you will always have fantastic job value because marketing people come and go but skilled marine biologists are a few and global warming is keeping the ones in jobs busy.
- If you know what career
you want then write to a company that does what you want to do and ask
them to work in their mailroom or in the trenches and find out about the
thorns in the rosebush. Forget money
rather focus on the job at hand because this internship will either cement
your love for the job or bring you the harsh reality that being a surgeon
is really about blood and guts!
- Forget chasing after what
the crowd is going for. What is
right for your buddies or the coolest kid in class will and might not be
what you want to do. This is not
about pleasing the parents and this is not about making the coolest kid in
the class list. I have seen so many
un-popular kids in class who were social rejects and today are at
positions in the corporate world and commanding those who laughed at them
in school because they removed emotion from what their career choice was
and focused on the here and now and what they wanted in the future. Friends will leave you, enemies will
stay with you and ruin you but your parents won’t so it is always
advisable to sit with them and really tell them what you want to do and
ask them to support you morally. Forget
asking friends (social idiots) because if you only trust your parents and
ask them you might be wrong about your own assumptions about them. If you feel they judge you then you are
doing the same thing so break the circle of lies and be the adult here.
- Be REAL & Be GRATEFUL!
Your parents have given you what they could. Understand and appreciate that and never
compare your childhood to what another parent gave their kid. You are two different people but it’s
not all about you its about what they can afford. Also its about what you can bring to the
table as it takes two hands to clap.
If you want to study abroad then focus on getting the desired grade
and do NOT ask your dad for a bail out strategy in the form of cash. Earn the respect of a college with smart
work and honesty. – Today colleges
do not care about a kid with 24 A’s (basically a robot) they want to breed
a human being that will add to the value of society. Colleges have gone onto what John Lennon
and wood stock was all about. They want
people who contribute positively to society. So yes focus on grades but also build up
the other areas of your life such as sports (which does not constitute to
playing tennis on Nintendo Wii)
- You can never get what you
dream about unless you start somewhere but always start at the bottom of
your soul to understand what you are all about – Make a bucket list of 10
things you want to achieve and always focus on your ROI. Your investment should be in yourself and
your bucket list should consist of things that will help you get to the
desired goal. If you want to be a
photographer then learn how to take a picture and do not live under the
illusion of what quality you get from some DSLR that daddy paid for as
that is the camera and NOT you doing the work. Use technology to your advantage but do
not abuse the value of your own intellect and potential by substituting it
with what will only be a crutch.
- Be the best at what you want
to do and live for it passionately! I am the biggest salesman going and
people laugh at me for how I present myself. I am honest to myself so I don’t mind at
all when they need a job because I have clients who know how I work smart.
What matters when you graduate is
the fact that you will have a job so focus on that when you consider
investing four years. If you want
to become an accountant forget getting a CPA only – do something like
going for forensic accounting that is specialized. Be different but think smart. Focus on your goal but fuel your dreams
with money you will earn if you decide correctly today!
If you have any questions about what to do then talk to me
if you feel society or your parents won’t understand you. I can understand that they trust you buy
knowing what’s best for them (you) but will never admit it. So have faith in you and no one else because
colleges and universities only give degrees but life gives you something much
more when you are honest to yourself and that is respect!
Work smart Party Hard but most of all love the here and the
now!
Disclaimer! - The opinions I post are my own and I do not intend to hurt or offend you! If you cannot allow me my freedom of thought then you have the right to voice an opinion and navigate away on the web.
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