Practical advice, I wish someone would have told me if I were 18 years old, entering college today.

1. Study computer science and machine learning

Machine learning is the future. We have a huge influx of data. The future is gonna need a lot of “data scientists” who will seek to interpret these pools of data, to derive some meaning.

Study computer science. Worst case scenario, you can graduate and get a job making good money at a tech company.

Don’t go to art school or photography school if you’re going to go into debt. Only go if you have a 100% free ride.

Rather, build your passion on the side. If your passion is photography, the chance of you making it a living is very slim. Hedge your bets.

Get a good paying job in technology or computer science after you graduate college. Then you can use that information and knowledge to help your photography, website design, and entrepreneurship.

Also, get an internship as soon as possible. It don’t matter if it is paid or not. Make sure the brand of the company is good.

Better to get a non paid internship at a legit company, than a well paid internship at a small startup company.

When you get an internship, you have a 1000% better chance of getting a career job after you graduate.

2. Tools

Don’t blow your money on technology and tools.

Buy a used 11 MacBook Air. Best bang for the buck laptop.

For a phone and camera, buy a iPhone SE ($400 unlocked). Or buy a used iPhone 6s.

Don’t buy any new technology. Shit will depreciate so quickly.

3. Don’t buy expensive clothes

It is cheaper to thrift clothes. And looks cooler.

Please please please, don’t follow these fucking “lifestyle” bloggers and instagrammers. You will end up wasting so much time and energy trying to be cool by buying shit you don’t need.

To be cool: make good photos. Get strong by going to the gym. Show your coolness by showing off your body, your muscles, your parkour skills, your yoga skills, your writing, poetry, dance skills, or photo skills. Show your skills, not your stuff.

In short, don’t use Instagram.

4. Make your own blog

For your high school graduation present, ask your parents to buy you a website. Get them to pay the $10 a month cost on their credit card.

Go to Bluehost.com
Buy your own website domain (firstnamelastname.com) or (firstnamelastnamephoto.com)
Install WordPress.org
Blog whenever you feel like it. Don’t upload photos to social media.

Keep a blog for 4 years while in college. Upload photos of your friends. Write poetry. Write random blog stuff. Disable statistics and comments. When you graduate college at age 21, you will have a lot of work to show off as a portfolio. And a nice collection of personal memories.