What I wish someone told me at 19
I attended Auburn University as a Freshman the summer of 2016. We were talking about One Dance by Drake. I took a pill in Ibiza, Summer by Calvin Harris , and I remember hearing Broccoli over and over. I was 19 years and 1 month old.
For me undergrad was a blast. I made some of the best friends I still have today, I made memories I still talk about, and I got to be a part of a University I love. I finished in four years with a BS in Supply Chain Management and even made the deans list my last semester. (Which for me was a big deal)
BUT
Being 19 years old you are essentially a fetus. In my experience, college was a lot of wandering around with a blindfold on without a ton of direction or purpose. I was impressionable and immature. Coming out of high school I struggled with the lack of strict structure high school athletics came with. I had the ability to be disciplined, but without a coach standing over me i couldnt do it myself. My freshman year I was part of the pre-med program and failed multiple classes, and almost dropped out. I look back and think "well yeah ask any kid out of high school “What do you want to do for the rest of your life?” and I guarantee they're not gonna know the answer, at least I didn't.
While I look back I don't have any major regrets. I think I was lucky enough to have my undergrad years 2016-2020 act as a buffer for me to mature a bit with the stakes low enough that I had room to mess up and grow. I would tell anyone that the ages 19-22 are exactly for that. You are young and made of plastic. Bad habits can be minimized, and good habits can be compounded because of how young you are.
I think now what i would tell my 19 year old self if i had the chance, and what i would tell anyone that age.
Pick your studies wisely, and take them seriously.
Kind of obvious, but being this young, even if you are not in school, and working instead, or pursuing a trade, service, or any other endeavor, the idea is to seriously think about what you are interested in and good at, and seriously pursue to be competent in that field. Envision what you want to do after this four-ish year period and put yourself in a program of any kind that builds the foundation of that field.
Network Network Network
This period of your life can be the beginning point of your professional network, so go out and shake hands and meet people. REMEMBER PEOPLES NAMES. Be the guy or gal that knows everyone, Host events, get involved. If you are in school, go to every one of your professors' office hours and meet them and ask about their career and background. This will help you land an internship or job, as well as open doors for places to move to and travel down the line.
Experience beats a degree
I was fortunate enough to find a job out of school, but I have found that any employer wants someone who has real life experience or skills. The two best ways a younger person can acquire this is 1) Personal projects. Take what you're learning, apply it, and try to solve a real problem. Document it and write about what you learned. Do this enough, and you’ll have a real portfolio to show potential employers. 2) If you're in school, take internships in the summers, or better yet, find a job related to your studies while in school. This ties back to networking and building relationships in the field you're pursuing.
Just have a plan
The point of this short essay is to provide loose guidance to anyone who might be in that 19-22 age bracket. The biggest insight I've had is that using these formative years to build a purposeful roadmap towards a career or goal is the best use of your time. This plan can evolve and change along the way. Be purposeful and intentional. Don't let your life just happen to you.