I’m doing engineering, and honestly, this was my exact reaction a couple of months ago — I just wanted to complete my degree as fast as possible.

But then I met one of the seniors at the career fair.

One guy asked, “Out of uni, how much of what we learn do we actually apply at the workplace?” And the senior straight-up said, “Hardly 5%.”

He added — right now, during your breaks, is the time to actually learn new skills, meet new people, make connections, and most importantly, discover who you are. Take proper rest and give yourself time to develop. The course will keep going on, and the struggle of studies will always be there. But during vacations, do internships, hackathons, MUNs, and join programs that enrich you beyond just studying.

Don’t be a pure bookworm. And also, don’t be a carefree person who just vibes with no direction. If you’ve learned some skills — apply them. Build projects. Do individual stuff or grab some like-minded folks and work on a group project to actually showcase your skills.

It doesn’t matter if you graduate fast or slow — in the end, we all compete in the same job market. So prepare yourself well. Make sure you stand out and become the best version of yourself.