First, the environment of growth that is established in college sets the ground work for the rest of your life. Too often, people leave college and they move into a career and stop testing their assumptions, challenging their status quo or taking the risks that can lead to failure, but also have the potential for high reward. It is easy to do, everyone expects you to graduate and grow up and get a job and be "solidly employed". Over the past year, I felt that pressure. I have a great job doing medical research, my plan is to attend medical school in the future, but that is what people expect from me. I also have other passions. I want to continue playing basketball professionally for a few years. I am very interested in behavior design thanks to work with BJ Fogg in the Stanford Persuasive Tech Lab and I want to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors when I have nothing to lose.
Secondly, just because I have finished my formal education for the time being, doesn't mean I am done learning. The best part about being done with college is that I can study and learn what I want to. I don't have to spend time studying my Evolution notes or reading my Physical Chemistry book. Instead I can read blogs about creating the life and career you want, behavior design from people who can inspire you to do things that you never thought you would do (starting my own website or trying to release my own products)
Finally, I have learned that the world rewards those who take action. In college you can be successful by doing things the way they have always been done. Study hard and pass your tests and you will be successful. In the last year, I have realized that success comes to those who put themselves on the line. You will never get your dream job if you are afraid to quit the one you are in. You will never meet that amazing man/woman unless you are willing to risk rejection. You are never going to work for yourself if you don't build up your brand. You won't build a circle of trusted mentors and advisers if you don't reach out to them first. At the end of the day, you could lose everything if you take these risks, but you can't lose any more than that, however, you will always gain something even if it is just a lesson on how to do it better next time. Many of the most successful people throughout history failed and lost everything more than once only to learn from their mistakes and build something great. It can be scary, and difficult, but it will also be worth it to trust in yourself and follow through.
I am looking forward to all that is in store for my future, both successes and failures and all of the lessons held in both. This is my first voyage into blogging and I plan on learning a lot from the experience.