apresley: What's one piece of knowledge you wish you could have had during your late college or early career stage of life?
You’ll never be in a better position to do something you love for absolutely no money. Pursue the “dare to be great” opportunity, because those usually don’t come with a paycheck. Beg someone you admire (and whose path you’d like to emulate) to take you on as an intern, or even volunteer abroad.
And it’s very easy for me to say this. I don’t have the loaded gun of a massive student loan payment pointed at my head (though I have before). But the pressures of later adult life are severe, and limit our ability to seek out those experiences that will broaden our perspective and deepen our character. While you’ve got the opportunity, never mind the principal on that loan; pay the interest and go learn something that really matters.
