A look back at CC- 5 years later

[trf1021]

<p>Hello everyone, not so long ago I was in your exact position. Obsessively active on these forums and addicted to the idea of attending not just a select few top 20 schools, but very specifically MIT. I visited multiple times, loved absolutely everything about it (or at least the person I was in high school did), and was whole-heartedly convinced, in an almost (definitely) unhealthy way that this school, along with a high-profile career in physics, was my one and only true destiny. As frequenters of this forum, I'm sure you've heard this story many times and already know where it's going, but after 4 years of college at a different school (in Boston, at Northeastern, on which I could write another even longer post), I've realized it is literally not possible to reiterate this enough.</p>

<p>The person you are now may think MIT (or other schools) are the end-all be-all of your entire existence. There is no doubt that this is a perfectly reasonable conclusion to come to, since nothing in your life up until this point has been even close to as significant as the next 4 years will be. You know this, and as bright, promising young people, it is your natural intuition to do your best to continue on the great path you've created for yourself.</p>

<p>However, the unfortunate (for now; you will come to realize this is actually very fortunate) reality is that you will CHANGE. A lot. Many aspects of the way you live now exist because you want to go to MIT (or :insert other top tier school here:). When you learn to let go of that desire, you will learn things about yourself that you never could have imagined, which are ultimately 1000x more important than attending that one specific school you fell in love with. All that former person represents is who you imagined yourself being, which is impossible to tell at 17-18 years old. Without it, you realize who you really are, and that is more important than I can possibly express here. It may take a few years at a different school to figure it out, but THAT is what college is all about. </p>

<p>You are all some of the most intelligent people in the world and I can tell you from experience that when you're ready to get a full-time job or go to grad school, you will be laughing to yourself about the amount of time you spent on this site. </p>

<p>Learn to honestly, sincerely, know yourself, and show it in the best possible way you can. I know all too well how tempting it is to try to impress admissions officers and do everything you can to show interest in your favorite school, but I can honestly say, as someone graduating next month, you truly never know what can end up happening and the absolute best thing you can do is embrace that reality. </p>

<p>Good luck to you all and enjoy the very bright futures that I'm sure you will all have, wher(when- who knows, maybe we'll have time travel by then)ever that may be.</p>

[PiperXP]

<p>Thanks for the wonderful post, @trf1021, and congratulations on your upcoming graduation!</p>

[MITChris]

<p>What piper said. </p>

<p>Also, both of my brothers went to NEU, and had great times and have great jobs. College is not <em>only</em> what you make of it, but it is overdetermined by what you make of it. </p>

[HPuck35]

<p>Great post trf1021. Funny how life presents all kinds of twists and turns. What seems so important one day can hardly merit a second thought at a later time.</p>

<p>MIT was my dream school and I was fortunate enough to go there. I was always interested in aerospace that is where I looked for a job after college. However. my timing couldn’t have been worse. All the aerospace companies were just getting thru laying off huge numbers of engineers and job prospects were terrible when I graduated. </p>

<p>The companies were still interviewing at MIT (probably just for PR reasons) and I had several interviews. One interview was with a small division that I had never heard of. Almost skipped out on that interview as I was working in the lab that day with a tight deadline. I didn’t even wear my suit to the interview. After the interview, I realized that the clothes I was wearing had some kind of powder from the lab all over them. Kind of wrote that company off at that point. Well, they were the only one to offer me a job. I wasn’t sure about what I was getting into; I really didn’t know much about them and they were all the way across the country in SoCal. But a job is a job, so I went. Turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. The work I did was on the very cutting edge of engineering. I worked there for 35 years until I retired a few years back and enjoyed every minute of it. I worked with many brilliant people (from many different colleges, I might add). I met my wife there. Couldn’t have turned out any better.</p>

<p>The two points in life where, for a lot of people, the “who” you will become are defined are; going off to college and starting that first job. Both of these points come with big expectations that emanate mostly from one’s hopes and dreams. Sometimes those expectations don’t happen the way you expect, but you keep hoping and dreaming and they usually turn out better than you could have ever expected. </p>

<p>tfr1021, you have just finished with one of your major turning points of life. Keep up those hopes and dreams and good luck with the next.</p>