When I first came to college at DePaul University, the last thing on my mind was the student loans I would be paying off in four years. Sure, I thought about them, but I just figured that everything would sort itself out during my college years and that I'd be okay come graduation. It wasn't until after my Freshman year that I realized I really hadn't done THAT much with my college career.

Looking around me at my peers, I saw that they ranged from "About as prepared as I was" to "Exponentially more prepared, experienced, and motivated." Many had started getting prepared long before they even started college. Many had already worked various jobs, taken part in a multitude of organizations, and performed in a variety of respectable leadership roles.

This brings me to my main point, and how everything finally clicked together for me. There are HUNDREDS of applicants for every job, and I will be competing against my entire graduating class for a limited amount of positions. I NEED to be employed post-graduation because I have thousands of dollars in loans that I need to pay off. How can I even expect to get a job after graduation in the current state I'm in? I hadn't joined any clubs, taken on any roles. Really, I was just there to take my classes and expect my degree to land me a job right out of graduation.

I realized I needed to make a change NOW or I was going to sink, and I needed to swim.

Truthfully, the main tool that led me to this conclusion was observation and foresight, one of the strongest tools for growth any individual can harness if used methodically. Simply put, I observed the type of individuals around me, what they were doing, and how they were likely to end up. I'm going to give you an example of a particular individual that I really felt sorry for, and his dilemma really contributed to my desire to make the change I did. His name was Garrison.

I spotted him while I was walking to get lunch one particular day. He was dressed interestingly and seemed cool, so I approached him. Within 20 minutes of getting to know him, I discovered that he was set back approximately $80,000 in student loan debt, was majoring in Game Design (an incredible niche field with a large barrier to entry job-wise), didn't have a plan, and was expected to pay off his loans BY HIMSELF.

He was already a junior in college, and like me, he had failed to let the real world hit him in the face. In his case though, it was far too late. He had no plan of action to secure employment after graduation. No projects he worked on in his free time whereby he could showcase his passion to a potential employer. Here he was, expecting college to hand him all the tools he needed for the real world, with crippling debt looming over his head and his entire future.

I was woefully unprepared, inexperienced, and headed down the same path. I knew what that end of the spectrum looked like, but when I witnessed the other end of the spectrum, that's when I really sprang into action. In one of my math classes, I met an individual named Hart. From the get-go, I could tell that this guy had his stuff together. One day in class, while he was on his phone, I curiously peered over to see what he was doing. I noticed that he was on a stock exchange website, and had THOUSANDS of dollars invested.

I thought this feat insurmountable for a mere college student. The more I got to know this guy, the more I idolized him for the amount of experience he had, jobs he's worked, and money he's made. He had the initiative, the observation, the foresight, and most importantly, he took action. Eventually, after talking with him long enough, I realized there was really only a few differences between Hart and myself. He had this realization long before I did, and started preparing himself early. He set clear goals for himself, worked HARD, took initiative, and took ACTION.

Ever since I realized this difference, there hasn't been a day where I haven't challenged myself in the same way any employer would have expected me to.

It's too easy to sit around, passive to your surroundings, and expect life to hand you everything you need to success. This is a dangerous way of living, especially in times like these where student loans are increasing exponentially, and jobs are dwindling.
The earlier you start preparing for your future after you graduate, the better. Employers will see this, and they will want to hire you.

College is an excellent chance to prove yourself and to mold yourself into a hard-working, employable, and diversified individual, because YOU are entirely accountable, and your future is entirely yours.