Under To Post

A lot of students go to college. We live in an age where almost 70 percent of high schoolers go to college. Of those individuals 60 percent of them will actually graduate from college. I finished up undergrad in 2018 and want to share some of my experience along with a couple tips.

The Advice We Get

Tell me, does this advice sound familiar to you? “Go to school, get good grades, go to college, get good grades, get a good job, and then you live happily ever after.” Pretty common advice right?

One question for some of you concerning that advice is, how is that going for you so far?

In today's world there is a large spectrum of college students. These students all have different aspirations for what their life should look like moving forward into post grad. This advice that most of us were given just doesn’t apply to some of us anymore.

Where Do I Want To Be?

The issue I see a lot of students run into is their vision for their life and the people they listen to in order to make it happen. I saw what a lot of my peers that graduated before me were doing and how they lived. I wasn’t excited to do the same, so I took a different approach to what I was going to do coming out of college because I had a strong vision of where I wanted to be in terms of lifestyle.

It’s also important to have a controlled vision. Thinking 20 years ahead might be too far, but not thinking past next week isn’t far enough. Having a clear vision for the next 2-5 years has made a huge difference for my focus and what I want my life to look like. Goals that are long enough to allow adjustments where needed, and short enough where you can think about it can help keep you stay on track.

Overall think about;

What does the next 90 days look like?

Where should I be 2-5 years from now?

How clear are my goals?

Who Do I Listen To?

I met several entrepreneurs near the end of my college career that successfully grew side hustles in their 20s and left corporate America in their 30s. I saw the fruit on their trees, the lifestyle they lived, and how they carried themselves and knew that it was what I was ultimately looking for in life. I decided to follow in their footsteps and eventually earned a partnership with them. Their guidance over the past few years has been extremely valuable as I graduated, started a career, and started to grow my own side hustles.

Now you might not have any entrepreneurial ambitions, but most likely you have a goal for your life. The question simply becomes, are you listening to the right people? There are a lot of people that want your attention or want to push something onto you. My suggestion is to put everything through these filters:

1. What is the fruit on their tree?
2. Do their values align with my own?
3. Does this person have the skills to actually help me?

A lot of people look at their social circle for advice; people that they love, friends, and family. Nothing wrong with that, but know that some of those individuals might not be in the best space to give you advice or empower you.

I love my parents, but they have never been at a high enough level to push me to my limits. You can make your parents proud in other ways than just following their directions. Again the question is, “Is your loved ones where you want to be?” If the answer to that is no, you shouldn’t weigh their words so heavily. 

Having the right type of guidance is essential to creating the life that you want. No one has all of the answers, so how can you expect to figure it all out on your own. It’s not a sign of weakness to look to someone else for guidance or help, but courage to become a better you to go to where you want to go.

Things to think about; 

Who has the life I want?

How do I become a free thinker?

Don’t be afraid to look for help.

What is My Worth?

No one is going to tell you your actual value. Most companies and individuals that hire you want to pay you the least amount possible and get the most out of you.

If you don’t know what your worth is, someone else will tell  you what it is and mark it down from where it should be.

Fight for your worth and your time! Don’t settle and be patient. It takes time and sacrifice to get the things you want in life. If you get an offer that doesn’t meet your standards don’t take it.

Keep in mind;

I should know my worth!

I need to set high standards for myself!

I Graduated, Now What?

The biggest advice I give to people is to change their focus. Yes you did work for the last 4 years to get a piece of paper. Yes you are probably going to get a pretty good job.Yes you will eventually find a place to settle down.

Ask yourself this question, How do you want to live? 

We tend to over focus on the what, where, and why with different areas of our lives. Don’t get me wrong those are still important, but if you can answer the “how” question above, the rest of the pieces can be found and put together over time, effort, and sacrifice.

What’s next?;

You did great at school for 4 years, use that momentum!

Think past your job.

Set your standards high!

Have clear goals.