Escape the Mundane + Experience the Remarkable

How College Ruined My Life and What You Can Learn from My Mistakes

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Perspective

Sixty-eight thousand four hundred seventy-two.

Awfully large number… I’ll see if numerically helps:

68,472

Nope. Still large.

68,472… 68,472… 68,472…

Shoot, it doesn’t get smaller after repeating. Ugh!

So what is this number? It’s not my favorite number, that’s for sure. Actually, this number is the amount of student loan debt I accrued over my three years in college. 3 years = $68,472 … whoah! That’s roughly $62 a day, every day for three solid years.

The Debt Snowball

Before getting into it, let’s first travel back to my 18th year of life. I have a thriving business (I started when I was 12) implementing technology in residences & offices, as well as designing websites for businesses. I’m maintaining a 3.9 Advanced Honors GPA without any effort. And I have zero debt. Basically, life is good.

Having grown up as a minority from an Indian reservation along with a superior ACT score, I am besieged by college recruiters. From Ivy leagues to west coast universities, I truly have the pick of any school in the nation. But being a nervous teenager leaving my loving home for the first time, I choose the best private college within a half-day’s driving distance. And I love it. New friends, new town, new everything… College life is for me.

Fast-forward to 4 months later. I find myself in a seemingly endless line waiting to sell back my books from a successful first semester… After an absurd couple of hours in line, I’m up! From a wave of seller’s remorse, I keep my Intro to Psych textbook as well as my Econ book out of sheer interest in the subjects. But I decide to ditch the Middle East History book and an overpriced piece of crap that is my Business Computing book. Or so I thought.

Apparently history changes because the college didn’t renew my history book, which means they wouldn’t buy it back. But that’s understandable, there’s a lot going on over there and times are changing.

But the real kick in the pants?

They would not accept the Business Computing book due to a campus wide Microsoft Office upgrade…

Which means I spent the past semester force-fed outdated information.

My Educational Catharsis

Two days later – heartbroken from the realization in the bookstore – I return home for the winter break. There I reconnect with my older brother, Frank, who knowingly or unknowingly changes my life forever. A simple gesture, yet with powerful effects, he gives me an audiobook. And no, not a fictional book about vampires and elves. He gives me How to Win Friends and Influence People. And a complete paradigm shift ensues.
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I’m Giving Away Everything to Find Meaning

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Perspective

My Only Possession

In two weeks I will be emptying my house, giving away everything I own, and taking the leap into a life without possessions.

It’s a daunting transition. But necessary to start building my dream life.

For those of you familiar with my genius business partner, Greg Hartle and his remarkable Ten Dollars and a Laptop project, you may be having a bit of deja vu. Well fear not, I’m not stepping on his toes nor stealing his thunder. Personally, he is an extreme motivator and mentor towards minimalism.

I am, however, finally setting in motion a plan I created about 4 years ago.

I’ve never played by the rules. I was a disinterested student throughout college. A rebellious employee in the corporate world. And most unconventional, an avid couch-surfer during impromptu adventures.
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The New Dork’s Phone System

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Marketing

The guys and gals at Grasshopper have struck online viral marketing gold with the spoof of Jay-Z & Alicia Keys’ song Empire State of Mind. If you’re not one of the million plus views and you’re an entrepreneur, in marketing or a Jay-Z fan, you must watch it. Funny and awesome at the same time:

At first, the song seems to have no correlation to phone systems. Until you realize that Grasshopper is the self-proclaimed “phone system for entrepreneurs.” Now this seemingly random song carries all sorts of marketing win for the company.

To elaborate, if you or someone you know is an entrepreneur, undoubtedly the video will eventually be seen and shared. They’ll tweet it, email it and even write articles about it – just as I am here. And what does every entrepreneur that is constantly on the run and is technologically advanced need that Grasshopper just happens to provide… you get the picture. It’s genius.
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Networking 101: What To Do with Those Business Cards After an Event

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Digital Nomad

Photo: Petter Palander on Flickr

Expos, chamber gatherings and other networking events will certainly leave you with pockets full of business cards. And I am assuming you cherish the business cards from the important contacts you met. But what about all of the cards from folks you may never intend on speaking to again? (i.e. an unrelated industry worker) What should a smart networker do with these contact cards?

Most people fail to do anything with seemingly undesirable business cards. Some may throw them away. While most others probably toss them in a drawer, only to throw them away five years later. And so it seems that most people never recognize the golden opportunity presented with all business cards: building a network. Shocking revelation, huh? Since this was your original intention of going to the networking event anyway, might as well do it correctly. Here’s my advice:
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Escaping the Crab Bucket

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Mentality

bucket-of-crabs

There is a very intriguing trait of crabs. When placed in a bucket, a single crab easily climbs out. Adding two or more crabs to the bucket, however, none will ever escape. The lower crabs will grab onto the higher climbers and yank them down. This phenomenon is analogous to anyone striving for a better life. Your current scenario is the bucket and your critics are the fellow crabs. And the world is not short of crabs who love to pull you down.

The Escape

After weeks of brutal torture, André Devigny successfully escaped a WWII POW camp by, among other things, scaling a massive fortress wall. Talk about climbing out of a mighty extreme bucket! And he did so when the German army considered his living arrangements permanent. Yet he didn’t allow his current situation to determine his future. Neither should anyone else.

Everyone looking to escape his or her circumstances will face similar detractors. Remember, those who think you can never break free will forever doubt your intentions. So it’s best to realize early on that no matter what you do, others will find ways to criticize.

Luckily we are not crabs. By recognizing that others are trying to pull you down, you can overcome their flak. We are free to create a better lifestyle and the commentators can stay in their self-imposed lair of fear. Also, we are not in a bucket, we can choose who we associate with. If someone says you cannot do something, impose a social embargo and cut all ties.

Put in other words; ditch the critics and their pent-up hostility towards success. You have a remarkable life ahead and you don’t need them.

Good luck climbing out of your bucket!