Lessons from Big Grad

I recently graduated from THEE ILLUSTRIOUS ALABAMA A&M University, Go Bulldogs 🐶🐶. My collegiate career has been filled with ups and downs. Just like yesterday, I remember having a conversation with my mum about how I was going to pay for college, I got into some amazing schools out of state but finance was a big issue and at that moment I was truly saddened I had no intention of spending my college days at home or in boring olde Alabama but life has other plans.

My mum took matters into her own hands and applied to Alabama A&M as a commuter student and I was genuinely pissed for a short while anytime I went on campus because this was not the plan but life has other plans.

Looking back, I am glad we had that financial burden that prevented me from going out of state cause it made me a more resourceful, determined, and all-around better person.

I have learned so much from my time at A&M, I will be sharing some nuggets as I reflect on my collegiate years.

1. You are stronger than you think: There have been a lot of personal and academic events that have occurred where I felt I couldn’t overcome this battle but I did now I laugh at it with friends and family

2. SAY YES: Coming into college more than likely you are trying to figure out what you want to do with your life and the best way to figure out what you like and don’t like is by saying yes to every opportunity that comes your way as a student. Of course, there would be a point where you can’t balance all the plates and decide meticulously what you say no to.

3. Your circle matters: I am glad for the friends and acquaintances I made in college but my tight-knit group of friends had our priorities straight. We all had a chip on our shoulder, supported one another, shared opportunities, held one another accountable, and of course had a lot of good moments together. Quality >> Quantity :)

4. Be Relentless: You have to be relentless when you figure out what your target is. During my freshmen to mid-sophomore year, I was a biology major and I was relentless in doing research, shadowing doctors, and volunteering. I was able to do all that from doing research on nanoparticle generation from biological organisms to shadowing doctors. Furthermore, I pivoted to Computer science after my reignited passion for entrepreneurship and building cool products. Even with that pivot, I set my target and accomplished the goals I set out from getting a software engineering internship in my first semester as a computer science student to landing a product manager role I wanted as a New Grad.

5. Your support system is key: As a first born, first gen immigrant I have to figure out a lot of things on my way and carry myself high even though deep down I am crumbling. It’s not easy to carry all that on your shoulders or figure things out on your own. That’s why a strong supportive system is important that’s why in my support system: I have my mentors, spiritual advisors, friends, “big brothers and sisters”, supportive faculty members, a strong faith, and the Angels sent along the way.

6. Try stuff: Whatever idea you have, whatever little or burning passion or nudge you have. Follow it. College gives you that safe playing area to experiment without the serious repercussions you might have in the real world. So please build that business, and start working on that art piece. Trust me your school or college-focused organization would be there to support you along the way.

7. Time Management is key: If you know me, I love to dip my hands in different pots but with that enthusiasm and curiosity comes a lot of plates to juggle. So developing a strong time management skill is necessary if you want to go beyond just coming to class and doing your homework.

8. Beyond the classroom: I genuinely feel like college is not meant just to sit in a classroom and listen to a professor talk all day about archaic materials that no one cares about, don’t get me wrong those are important and are the fundamentals to a lot of the other cool real world application but I believe you would never truly learn by confining your learning within your class materials. A lot of the skills I developed were from experimenting with different curiosities I had and teaching myself.

9. Know the system: I believe that understanding systems and rules enables success. Despite occasionally missing classes, I am very well aware of each class's needs and approach to excel. some require strict attendance, while others can be managed with just online resources. Understanding the teacher, curriculum, and requirements is key to success in college. This allowed me to allocate my time efficiently for other pursuits, like research projects or academic competitions.

10. Your network: A lot of my time in college was spent attending conferences, seminars, hackathons, pitch competitions, and events. And I do not regret that because now I have a growing network of brilliant people in different states and countries across the world who I can reach out to. Those networking skills I have built along the way will still be instrumental as I kick off my career and progress across life.

Those are just a few nuggets I wanted to deliver to you as I reflect on my college years. Haha come to think about it, I was quite the nerd in college.

Would love to hear what you think about this article or hear your piece of nugget. Drop a comment on my LinkedIn or in the substack comment section