By Gabby Carlson | Echo
Michael Kammes '16 Computer Science
My post-Taylor life is nothing like how I imagined it while I was still a student, especially as an underclassmen! I really imagined myself going back to Chicago or to another large city such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, etc. I also had built up in my mind that I would somehow stumble into a huge pile of money and would be living some uber luxurious lifestyle. Neither of those came true, but I feel that I followed a calling from God and am ecstatic about my life here in Indianapolis.
I think Taylor did an excellent job preparing me for "the real world." I feel extremely competent in my job and have already seen my education play into advancements at work. I was able to wisely pick a church that held the values I wanted and have been very involved with the community there. I also have found that life is more than just work and have been pursuing a newfound hobby. I think Taylor prepares its students to flourish in all aspects of life instead of just one aspect of it. I see some of my friends who went to some very reputable schools who are killing it at work or knocking it out of the park at church or socializing and networking very well, but I rarely see any of them put all the pieces of the puzzle together.
Seniors, soak up every bit of Taylor you can while you still have the opportunity. The community there is special, and you need to enjoy it, but after you move out of Upland be sure to have a plan; don't just wing it like you did when you were a freshman knowing that you had an academic advisor who was going to help you keep on track toward graduating. After college you don't have a life advisor who guides you. So come up with a plan. That plan can be tackling the student debt you just accrued over the last four years, or it can be to move out of mom and dad's house ASAP. It can be to land your dream job, or it can be backpacking Europe. Whatever your plan is will be unique to you, but you need to have one otherwise you'll soon find that you're wasting a boat load of time not working towards any of your goals. Juniors, start applying for jobs now! The early bird does get the worm when it comes to employment, and if you start months before every other college student, you will see it pay off.
My lifestyle after Taylor has changed dramatically. Unlike the typical college student I now wake up at 4:30 a.m. every day to get a jump-start on my day. I like to get up early so I can CrossFit and get ready for my day. I find that the sleeping in until last second and rushing to work doesn't work the same way as it did with class.
I now have deadlines that have much more meaning than turning in a project late and getting points off on it. In my job if I miss deadlines I am usually costing the business thousands of dollars and potentially millions of dollars lost. The stakes are much higher, and procrastination is a thing of the past.
But I think the biggest change in my lifestyle is the level of self autonomy that I operate with on a daily basis. Every day I make hundreds of choices, and not a single one involves my parents, my dorm roommate or my professor. Instead I have to decide how I'm going to spend my money, and it's hard to make the right choice. Money is a huge responsibility, and as a student you had none, but now you make a living and have to use it responsibly. I'd love to buy some brand new Beats headphones and Lululemon gear, but most months I don't have that money left after I've tithed and saved the correct portions. The level of freedom of college from high school is drastic, but the jump from college to post-college is even larger. No one makes decisions for you, and you have to be strong, smart and self-sufficient to survive out here.
