Here’s my address to the graduating class the IITM BS Program today:
Make five new friends today.
Your CGPA is what you’re most focused on. When I graduated, my CGPA helped me get a job. It didn’t help much after that.
Getting that job helped me for the four years I worked there. That’s it.
The things I learnt in class helped a bit longer. Maybe six years. There is a long tail.
But all of these are depreciating assets.
Make five new friends today.
The friends I made at college are still friends. Your friends will grow more influential and build stronger relationships. That is an appreciating asset.
And in the AI era, this is an asset that will appreciate even more.
Talk to the person to your left. Your right. In front of you. Behind you.
Make five new friends today.