You know about compound interest. Time works the same way. You don't have the time you think you do. Every year you screw around will penalize you heavily 10 years from now.
High school matters, to the extent that your performance determines which university you get slotted into. Develop an attitude (as I did) and that guarantees you won't go to MIT. Were I to do it over again, I'd swallow the BS they lavished on us in high school for a shot at Tech. So start working now. All-in. Don't get in the habit of coasting - that's a very hard habit to break.
You have the luxury now of being able to think high risk / high reward. The worst thing you can do is to start a family before you are ready. Security becomes Job One then, which means low risk / low reward.
Surround yourself with the smartest people you can find. Don't be an eagle in a cube farm of turkeys. That's the shortest route to stagnation I can think of (though you'll be well paid).
High school matters, to the extent that your performance determines which university you get slotted into. Develop an attitude (as I did) and that guarantees you won't go to MIT. Were I to do it over again, I'd swallow the BS they lavished on us in high school for a shot at Tech. So start working now. All-in. Don't get in the habit of coasting - that's a very hard habit to break.
You have the luxury now of being able to think high risk / high reward. The worst thing you can do is to start a family before you are ready. Security becomes Job One then, which means low risk / low reward.
Surround yourself with the smartest people you can find. Don't be an eagle in a cube farm of turkeys. That's the shortest route to stagnation I can think of (though you'll be well paid).