By: Kiran Matro
It鈥檚 the question I get most often. Whether I鈥檓 posting photos from a weekend-maxing trip to Seattle, a day trip to try a new caf茅 in Philly, or an international flight to Japan or Korea, people are often surprised to learn that I am also a full-time student. In fact, this spring is my final semester at 兔子先生系列麻豆, and I am currently enrolled in eight classes.
To many, my schedule sounds like a recipe for burnout. To me, it鈥檚 a carefully managed financial portfolio. As a Finance student, I鈥檝e learned that time is my most valuable asset. I don鈥檛 just 鈥渟pend鈥� my hours, I invest them so I can afford the life I want to live right now.
When I was younger, I moved a lot and felt like I had endless time, yet I lacked a clear direction. Even after high school, I wasn鈥檛 sure what my path looked like. I started at Delaware Tech studying Business Administration to get my prerequisites done, but along the way, I discovered a passion for personal finance. I started investing, saving, and building my emergency fund, and I realized that I wanted to take total ownership of my future.
I transferred to GBC in Spring 2025 to earn my Bachelor鈥檚 in Finance. I decided to push through my degree without breaks (taking classes every Fall, Spring, and Summer). Why? Because I wanted to accomplish something entirely for myself. For once, I wanted to complete a goal without it feeling like a forced task, but as a personal achievement. I am blessed to have a family that doesn鈥檛 control or pressure me, which has given me the freedom and independence to make this journey my own. Paying for my own tuition, books, and transportation isn鈥檛 a burden; it鈥檚 a source of pride. It鈥檚 fulfilling to know that every mile I fly and every credit card points I earn is fueled by my own hard work and discipline.
Most people ask how I still find the time to sleep or travel with a schedule like mine. My secret isn鈥檛 caffeine; it鈥檚 a high-efficiency time blocking system, and maybe a cup of matcha鈥 always stock up on matcha every time I visit Japan to keep my energy balanced back home!
However, energy only gets you so far; you also need a solid plan. You can鈥檛 balance eight classes, a server job, an internship, and traveling by 鈥渨inging it鈥�. My Apple Notes app is my digital best friend. It holds my life schedule, travel itineraries, and my 鈥渟ave-aholic鈥� budgeting plans鈥攑lans that helped me pay off my car and graduate debt-free.
To be frank, I don鈥檛 spend a lot of time 鈥渉anging out鈥� around campus due to my tight schedule and the majority of my classes being online. That鈥檚 why I took on this Marketing Micro-internship in blog writing. I wanted to connect more deeply with my school before I graduate.
Even as a busy student, I鈥檝e found ways to engage. I recently joined a trip coordinated by Dr. Scott Glenn to visit the PHLX Nasdaq in Philadelphia. Getting to see the trading floor, networking with Nasdaq Staff like AVP Michael Blackson, and hearing their career backstories really expanded my vision. I left that trip with a renewed drive, realizing there is a place for everyone in this industry.
What I discovered is that GBC is uniquely built for students like me. I must give a huge shout-out to Amanda Birch, who helped me perfect my one-year transfer schedule so I could graduate on my terms. While my schedule sounds intense, GBC鈥檚 support system, from mental health counseling to free tutoring and mock interviews, provides the safety net that allows students to dream big. The small class sizes aren鈥檛 just a statistic; they mean I can actually engage with my professors and get the real-world preparation for my career.
If you feel like you鈥檙e just 鈥済etting through鈥� school, I encourage you to shift your perspective. Plan strategically. Don鈥檛 be afraid to be the person who works the extra shift to fund the dream trip.
I also want to remind you that everyone has their own pace. I took an extra semester at Delaware Tech, and while my graduation was once estimated for 2027, I鈥檝e moved it up to Spring 2026, but if I hadn鈥檛, I wouldn鈥檛 have minded. There is no such thing as 鈥済raduating on time鈥�; there is only your time.
The way I see it, four years of school is a short investment compared to the decades of life we have ahead of us. Whether you鈥檙e a transfer student like me or you鈥檝e been here since freshman year, take advantage of what鈥檚 in front of you and GBC鈥檚 Fridays-Off. I also highly recommend joining Handshake to connect and apply for jobs and internships. My inbox is constantly filled with opportunities in financial services and marketing due to my activeness which even landed me an interview at the Vanguard Headquarters! Budget, build your emergency fund, use the tutoring center, and don鈥檛 be afraid to 鈥渨eekend-max鈥�.
As I approach graduation this May, the horizon feels wide open. My goal is to find a career that mirrors the flexibility of my current lifestyle, ideally a remote or hybrid role in the finance or marketing industry. I鈥檓 searching for a professional environment where I can continue my high efficiency rhythm, staying dedicated to my work during the week while remaining completely mobile by Friday.
I plan to spend the rest of my time on the East Coast, checking off my travel bucket list: Quebec City, New Orleans, and Boston are all calling my name before I eventually make the move back to Washington State in 2027. While I am actively seeking summer internships and full-time opportunities, I am moving forward with a heart full of positivity. I鈥檓 not worried about having every single answer today; I trust in the Lord and know that His plans for me are far greater than anything I could ever jot in my Notes app.
I do this for my younger self, who was looking for a path, and for my future self, so she can look back and be proud that I didn鈥檛 just sit through college鈥擨 lived it. I am young, I am blessed, and I am grateful. Through the stumbles and successes, I鈥檓 doing this for me. All Glory to God.
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