Career interest: Eventually founding an IT startup, as per recommendation by Carl Shulman.
Motivation: Making lots of money to donate to effective charities.
Background: My dad is a freelance (Windows) computer assembly and repair guy, and I picked up some troubleshooting and upkeep tricks from that, but nothing impressive. I also took a computer science class where I gained some ability in Java.
If your goal is to found an IT startup, I’d recommend learning basic web development. I formerly used rails and, at the time I picked it up, the learning curve was about a month (just pick a highly rated book and work through). If not web, consider app development. If you know a bit of Java, Android would probably be the way to go. With either of these, you’ll have a skill that allows you to single-handedly create a product.
At the same time, start keeping a list of ideas you have for startups. Some will be big, others small. But start looking for opportunities. Particularly focus on those that fit with the skills you’re learning (web or app).
Potentially, that leaves you two months to start your first startup. Doesn’t have to be great. Doesn’t even have to be good. But knowing that you can take something from idea to product is extremely powerful. Because now, as you’re learning, when you see an opportunity, you’ll know how to take it.
More, it will allow you to fit your studies into your ideas. In your algorithms class, you’ll see techniques and realize how those could solve problems you’ve had with your existing ideas or spark all new ideas. And if you don’t walk out of your first AI class with a long list of new possibilities, something went seriously wrong :). But everything you’re learning will have a context which will be extremely powerful.
All this time, keep creating. Any good entrepreneur goes through a training process of learning how to see opportunities and take them. You have four years of access to excellent technical resources, free labor (your peers), and no cost to failure (and learning how to handle those will be another step in your growth). If you go in with an ability to create (even a very basic ability), you will not only be able to make use of those opportunities, you’ll get far more out of the process than you otherwise would.
[also: I’d like to second the recommendations to establish an exercise habit]
Career interest: Eventually founding an IT startup, as per recommendation by Carl Shulman. Motivation: Making lots of money to donate to effective charities. Background: My dad is a freelance (Windows) computer assembly and repair guy, and I picked up some troubleshooting and upkeep tricks from that, but nothing impressive. I also took a computer science class where I gained some ability in Java.
If your goal is to found an IT startup, I’d recommend learning basic web development. I formerly used rails and, at the time I picked it up, the learning curve was about a month (just pick a highly rated book and work through). If not web, consider app development. If you know a bit of Java, Android would probably be the way to go. With either of these, you’ll have a skill that allows you to single-handedly create a product.
At the same time, start keeping a list of ideas you have for startups. Some will be big, others small. But start looking for opportunities. Particularly focus on those that fit with the skills you’re learning (web or app).
Potentially, that leaves you two months to start your first startup. Doesn’t have to be great. Doesn’t even have to be good. But knowing that you can take something from idea to product is extremely powerful. Because now, as you’re learning, when you see an opportunity, you’ll know how to take it.
More, it will allow you to fit your studies into your ideas. In your algorithms class, you’ll see techniques and realize how those could solve problems you’ve had with your existing ideas or spark all new ideas. And if you don’t walk out of your first AI class with a long list of new possibilities, something went seriously wrong :). But everything you’re learning will have a context which will be extremely powerful.
All this time, keep creating. Any good entrepreneur goes through a training process of learning how to see opportunities and take them. You have four years of access to excellent technical resources, free labor (your peers), and no cost to failure (and learning how to handle those will be another step in your growth). If you go in with an ability to create (even a very basic ability), you will not only be able to make use of those opportunities, you’ll get far more out of the process than you otherwise would.
[also: I’d like to second the recommendations to establish an exercise habit]
I love this goal!