What I Wish I Knew About College
Having just wrapped up my final semester at NYU, I’ve gotten some time to reflect, and it’s finally hit me that I’ve graduated. Feels pretty surreal. What they say about college is more than a cliché: the last few years were immensely transformative.
It wasn’t always smooth sailing; there were ups and downs (a few of which I highlight in the next section). I’m writing this blog post to share a few things that I wished I would have known earlier in my time in college. Lessons, ideas, and practices I should have internalized and acted on sooner than I eventually did.
They aren’t all-encompassing tips for making the most out of college, though. Drawn from my experience, they’re subjective and specific. But, I hope helpful nonetheless.
About My College Experience
To put these learnings into context, I summed up my relevant college experience in this section. Skip ahead if you’re looking for answers instead of stories.
I went into my freshman year at NYU undeclared, with no idea what I wanted to do. I left with 2 majors (economics and computer science), 2 minors (business and music), a huge personal transformation (disinterested and detached to focused and determined), and a full-time software engineer role I’m thrilled to begin.
The ride was neither smooth nor linear. Until my final year of college, I struggled to settle on my “why.” I wasn’t sure of what sort of career I wanted to build, whether my major was right for me, what I valued in my personal and professional worlds.
The years before that weren’t bad, they just weren’t centered around specific goals. I was kind of just cruising along and doing alright. But, I felt more empowered after holding myself accountable for my decisions, big and small, and asking myself what makes me want to do the things I do. Embracing daily meditation, reflective journaling, and setbacks that demanded change played a big role in helping me become more organized, goal-oriented, and self-aware.
As I mentioned, I went into NYU undeclared, not having the slightest clue of what I wanted to major in. I took all my mandatory core classes first. Under the guise of Stern’s (NYU’s esteemed business school) prestige, I aimed to transfer there. Internal transfer to Stern is competitive so I structured my classes such that if I didn’t get into Stern, the courses I took would satisfy requirements for an economics major. To be honest, I didn’t truly enjoy economics. I was just fascinated by human behavior and wanted to take quantitative courses, both of which economics encapsulated.
Fortunately, I didn’t get into Stern. At the time, I was disappointed. In retrospect, I’m immensely thankful. Because if I did, I wouldn’t have offhandedly decided to take an introductory computer science course that changed everything.
Upon taking that course, I realized I loved computer science; I loved coding. It was equal parts creative and analytical, which piqued my interest. More so, it led me to web development, which converted my fascination with the web to an obsession! Plus, I’m an introvert, so sitting on a desk writing code for most of the day appealed to my personality.
I grew up in a cultural atmosphere that encouraged competition, especially in academics. So, even as a freshman in college, I had an instinct to try and do well in classes. However, that was more because the need to excel was culturally ingrained throughout my childhood, not for any intrinsic reason — I didn’t want to strive academically.
I maintained a respectable GPA throughout college but drove it ever higher in my last two years. That was when I dove into my computer science major, enjoyed and valued my studies wholeheartedly.
Yet, even though I began to truly enjoy what I was studying, it was tough. In the third course of my computer science major sequence, I failed my midterm. It was a huge part of my overall grade, so passing the course itself seemed impossible. I had never actually failed an exam before, so it was quite demoralizing. I questioned whether computer science was right for me, whether I was good enough to do it, if I should just stick with economics. You know, your typical college existential crisis 😄
After seeking advice from my professor and advisor, I dropped the course. I was disappointed. But I promised myself that I wouldn’t give up. I took the course again the next semester and got an A. What a feeling! 😂
What changed?
I kept up with the course content from the first class. I took notes diligently and read the textbook thoroughly even though it wasn’t mandatory. I attended office hours regularly, unafraid to ask questions that may seem “stupid.” Basically, I went the extra mile. And it paid off.
All this is to say that
- It can take time to figure out a major that suits you.
- Keeping up with classes can be a struggle, even if you enjoy what you study. Accept and embrace that.
- Welcome failures to actively learn from them.
- Serious personal change only happens when life tests you, and you reflect hard on decisions you made.
Follow the links below for more on each topic
Part 1: Choosing A Major
Part 2: Doing Well in Classes
Part 3: Gaining Professional Experience
Part 4: YOU Time
That about wraps it up for me. If you have any feedback or questions, please leave a comment below, I’d love to engage further.
