Why I Graduated Early and Why You Should Too
The time between college and work is immensely valuable and transformative. How should you spend it?
I graduated from Cornell in 3.5 years, and it was one of the best decisions I could’ve made.
I’ve always liked school, but felt like I could do so much more with my time before I started my full-time job than spend another semester drowning in problem sets and exam prep. So when I decided to graduate early, I was excited but also hit with the existential question: “How am I going to spend the next five months?”
That “semester off” turned into seven months of freedom (spring and summer) where I traveled the world, worked at incredible companies, enjoyed Ithaca without the stress of classes, and, of course, recruited. The time was exhilarating, stressful, reflective, and above all, transformative.
This piece is a reflection on that period— what went well, what didn’t, and how I’d do it differently if I could.
Traveling
One of my few regrets from college was not studying abroad. I spent my junior spring and senior fall leading Cornell AppDev, which I’ll always be proud of. But I missed the chance to study in Europe or Asia, travel every weekend, and immerse myself in another culture. So when I mapped out how to spend my semester off, traveling rose to the top of the list.
Over the past seven months, I traveled to five countries across the globe and visited five U.S. states, from coast to coast. It was the most energizing part of my time off; getting to eat diverse food, meet new people, and experience different cultures.
January: Vietnam and Thailand
In January, I traveled with two of my roommates, Arnav and Sahej, to Vietnam and Thailand for three weeks. It was the longest I’d ever been away from home, but we dove headfirst into the culture, customs, and daily rhythms of both countries.
The most memorable part was the Ha Giang Loop: a four-day motorbike tour through northern Vietnam. It was the kind of experience that made the world feel both massive and deeply intimate. I met people who still rely on fire to heat their homes and cook meals—and yet they were some of the happiest people I’ve encountered. They didn’t dwell on what they lacked. They were fulfilled by what they had: family, community, love. I can’t recommend this experience enough.
February
In February, I flew to the Bay Area with Maddie to dog-sit Daisy and ski at Lake Tahoe. It was a short but special trip. We explored the city, spent time with my fur niece, and hit the West Coast slopes. I’ve always had a soft spot for SF, and this trip only deepened my desire to live there someday.
April
April was a whirlwind. I traveled with my roommates to Spain and Portugal, and right after with my family to Japan. I recognize how lucky I am to have had the opportunity to take these trips, and I worked hard to earn the money to make them happen. I don’t write about them to flex, but to share how integral travel is to my growth and reflection.
While traveling to these three spectacular countries, I made an effort to soak in each moment with my friends and family. When work starts, it pretty much never stops, and it gets even harder to find time to get away with friends and family, all of whom have their own lives. These trips were especially meaningful to me because I can’t tell you the next time I’ll be traveling with all of my roommates or my extended family.
Reflecting on the past seven months, traveling is the one thing I have no regrets about. To travel with my best friends, girlfriend, and family at 22-years-old around the world makes me so lucky. These experiences will stay with my for the rest of my life, and I think that’s a pretty great way to spend free time.
Work
I’ve always learned more by doing than by sitting in a classroom learning theory-based concepts. So graduating early gave me the chance to dive into hands-on experiences. Over the next few months, I took on three internships across venture capital and startups.
Antler
At Antler, a global pre-seed VC firm, I got my first taste of the investing world. I’d spent most of my time on the operating side, so I wanted to understand how VCs think, evaluate, and build conviction in the founders they back.
The team— Jeff, Roslyn, Malcom-Wiley, Chris, Alex, and Kaila—welcomed me with open arms. I sat in on founder pitches and investment meetings, asked my fair share of “dumb” questions, and contributed materials that actually made a difference. I’m grateful to Roslyn for taking a chance on me after a cold email. While I’m not pursuing VC full-time right now, it’s still a career path I’d love to pursue later in my career.
That said, you don’t need a VC internship to break into the space. Venture, like most of the world, runs on relationships. If you can connect smart people and spot good ideas, you’re already ahead of the game.
Contrary Capital
When I joined Contrary Capital as a Research Fellow, I thought I was a decent writer. I was wrong.
From my first investment memo, I was challenged to strip away fluff, anchor every insight in evidence, and write with narrative clarity. With lots of thoughtful (and humbling) feedback, I became a more succinct and conviction-driven writer. But more than anything, I learned how writing sharpens thinking. It’s a tool for telling a story with every sentence and for digging relentlessly until you find the "why" behind the "what." I’m especially proud of my memos on Armada, Aven, and Bubble, as well as my research on foundational models and AI agents.
I’m incredibly grateful to Sachin, Kyle, and Jen for their mentorship throughout the program. I also had the chance to meet some of the most thoughtful and curious people I've ever worked with, including Krishna, Marcus, and Samad, whose feedback and conversations pushed my thinking further every week. The Contrary Research Fellowship wasn’t just a writing program; it was a crash course in how to think like an investor, tell stories like a journalist, and approach ideas like a founder. It’s an experience I’ll carry with me for a long time. I’d highly encourage everyone to apply.
Stealth Startup
I also spent time at a stealth-stage AI startup in healthcare, working directly with the CEO and CTO to build the MVP. Collaborating directly with the founding team gave me a front-row seat to what it takes to turn an early idea into something real, and it strengthened both my product instincts and my appreciation for fast-paced, high-ownership environments. As one of the first hires, I wore many hats spanning product, design, and technical scoping, and I learned how early-stage teams move fast and make hard decisions.
That experience sharpened my product instincts and was a key reason for why I ultimately joined Tennr full-time (more on this in a bit).
Recruiting
As much as I’d like to say the last seven months were filled with rainbows and sunshine, there were times when I felt like an absolute failure.
Most of my friends had already locked in prestigious, high-paying jobs. Meanwhile, I was globe-trotting and juggling internships. I felt torn: I wanted to enjoy this rare window of freedom, but constant guilt gnawed at me, telling me to focus on recruiting instead of enjoying life. I kept telling myself I was “recruiting”, but all I was doing was mass-applying on LinkedIn and hoping something stuck. Unless you have an immaculate resume (which you probably don’t) and you fit the company’s demographic hiring criteria (which you don’t know), I’d highly advise against using the mass-apply method.
While in Florida with Roarke and Mateo post-graduation, I hit a breaking point. I realized that if I didn’t go all-in on recruiting, I’d be letting down not just myself, but the people who believed in me. I was filled with shame, disappointment, and guilt. What had I been doing the past six months? I felt more inferior to my peers than ever before. This culmination of feelings lit a fire in me and is something I’ll never forget and will continue to burn in me until I die.
From early June to mid-July, I locked in. I networked, prepped, interviewed, and repeated—daily. During the commute to and from the city, and until I went to bed. The only people I saw during this span were Maddie and my family. Each rejection felt like a shot to self-worth. I didn’t think I’d ever shed tears over job recruitment, but, in the moment when all I could think about was being a failure, my emotions ran high. But I stayed consistent. I focused on what I could control— hard work, perseverance, and consistency— and my efforts would eventually pay off. After 1.5 months, 28 interviews, and countless hours of prep, I accepted an offer at Tennr as an Embedded Solutions Engineer!
The quote that stuck with me through the process was: “Everyone says how lucky you are to have a job, but no one sees the late nights, early mornings, and rejections that led there.” There were times when I wanted to shut my laptop, go to bed, and cut my recruitment process short. But, I wanted to prove to my friends, family, and, most of all, myself, that I was capable of achieving my goals no matter how much work it would require.
Looking Back
At the beginning of this piece, I remarked that graduating early was one of the best decisions I could’ve made. Yes, balancing three internships, traveling constantly, and recruiting intensely took discipline, resilience, and a lot of self-reflection. Even still, the lessons I learned while working each role, making failures along the way, and meeting incredible people have shaped my perspective. I truly stand by the mantra of learning by doing, especially if it’s hard, because the more challenging something is, the more fulfilling it will be at the end.
So if you have the chance to finish school a bit early— do it. Take advantage of the time off when you’re in your early twenties to do the things you won’t have the time to when full-time work starts.
However, don’t let your foot off the f*cking pedal. Don’t let this six-month span go down the drain. Chase your goals just as relentlessly as you chase joy.
This time is a balancing act between hustle and rest, ambition and spontaneity. But if you can strike that balance?
You’re in for the time of your life.
The world is your oyster. Who knows what you’ll find.
Lovely read Matt! Ready for my recruiting rollercoaster. :)