Level Up in University: A Student's Guide to Future Success

EducationIf I was a student again, I’d do this

TL;DR

To thrive after graduation, students should balance enjoying university with strategically developing high-income skills like coding, design, and copywriting through side projects and extracurriculars, rather than just completing their degree.

Key Takeaways

1University has four main objectives: enjoying the experience, learning knowledge and skills, obtaining a certificate for job prospects, and networking—all ultimately serving the goal of enabling financial stability in adulthood.
2Simply completing your degree (the main quest) without developing marketable skills leaves you underleveled; successful graduates pursue parallel 'side quests' that build high-income trade skills.
3High-income skills—coding, UI/UX design, copywriting, sales, data analysis, and AI expertise—directly increase your market value and earning potential far more than low-income hobbies like playing guitar or chess.
4University offers a unique window of free time and scaffolding to experiment and learn; students who use this period strategically gain substantial advantages over those who don't.
5The ultimate measure of university success isn't the grade or degree alone, but whether you've leveled up skills that solve real problems people pay for in the marketplace.
6Learning to code as a student—even in non-technical degrees—is one of the most versatile high-income skills, unlocking remote work, startups, and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Notable Quotes

“The point is to enjoy the music. The point is not to race to get to the end or to the climax or the crescendo or anything like that.”
— Ali (quoting philosopher Alan Watts)

“If you just do your degree, it'll help you make money as an adult in the real world. You'll get to graduation and you'll be like, crap, it's really hard to find a job probably because you didn't spend the time leveling up your character.”
— Ali

“If you are someone who hangs out and learns stuff that results in leveling up high income skills, you're never going to be broke, right? You're always going to have a job.”
— Ali

“The point of university and college is that it's a scaffolding. It is a very nice period of your life where all you have to do is hang out and learn stuff.”
— Ali

Chapters

1. University as an Open-World Video Game

Ali introduces the concept of university as a video game with a main quest (graduation) and optional side quests (sports, clubs, societies, etc.). The analogy frames student life as having branching paths beyond just studying for exams.

2. The Four Core Objectives of University

The four main goals are: enjoying the experience, learning knowledge and skills, obtaining a certificate to improve job prospects, and making friends or networking. All of these ultimately serve the overarching goal of enabling students to make money and achieve financial security as adults.

3. Why Just Completing Your Degree Isn't Enough

In today's economy with AI and job uncertainty, simply following the main story line (exams, graduation) leaves you underleveled. Many degrees—especially non-vocational ones—don't directly guarantee employment, so additional skill development is critical.

4. Leveling Up vs. Staying Underleveled

Using the video game analogy, Character A who only does the main quest reaches graduation at level 30, while Character B who pursues side quests reaches level 50. The higher-leveled character has more experience, better skill trees, and is more attractive to employers.

5. Low-Income vs. High-Income Side Quests

Not all side quests are equally valuable. While learning guitar, chess, or frequenting nightclubs is fun and builds friendships, they don't improve earning potential. High-income side quests like coding, design, and sales directly increase market value.

6. High-Income Skills and Their Market Value

Coding, UI/UX design, copywriting, sales, data analysis, statistics, and AI expertise are skills that command high salaries and unlock multiple income paths—whether as an employee, freelancer, or entrepreneur. These skills make you valuable in a competitive marketplace.

7. Real-World Examples: From Side Projects to Success

Ali shares the story of a friend who learned coding as a side skill during university, later built Fire Cut (a video editing app), and now generates $1.2 million annually—far exceeding typical consulting salaries. This demonstrates the tangible ROI of high-income skill development.

8. University as a Scaffolding for Learning

The true value of university is not the degree itself but the unique period of free time and resources it provides to experiment, learn, and develop skills. This window disappears after graduation when full-time work begins.

9. The Bottom Line: Add Value to the Marketplace

Earning potential in a market-driven economy directly correlates with your ability to solve problems people will pay for. By graduation, successful students will have developed a portfolio of high-income skills that make them attractive to employers or capable of starting their own ventures.

Key People & Entities

Ali Abdaal: Doctor turned entrepreneur, YouTuber, and author of New York Times bestseller Feelgood Productivity; speaker sharing student advice
Alan Watts: Philosopher quoted on the purpose of life as enjoying the experience, not rushing to the end
Ali's Friend (Fire Cut Creator): Learned coding as a side skill during university; built video editing app Fire Cut now generating $1.2 million annually
Magnus Carlsen: World chess champion referenced as example of professional-level expertise required to monetize chess
Cambridge University: Ali's alma mater where he studied medicine from 2012-2018

Glossary

High-Income Skills: Marketable abilities such as coding, design, copywriting, sales, and data analysis that directly increase earning potential and market value in a competitive economy.
Side Quest: Optional activities and projects pursued during university outside the main curriculum, used metaphorically from video games to represent extracurricular skill development.
Trade Skill: A specific, learnable ability or craft (e.g., coding, UI/UX design, copywriting) that can be developed and monetized in the job market.
UI/UX Design: User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) design focuses on creating intuitive, visually appealing digital products like websites and applications.
Full Stack Developer: A software engineer who has expertise in both frontend (design/user interface) and backend (coding/architecture) development.
Vocational Degree: A degree program that directly prepares students for a specific profession (e.g., medicine, law) with clear job pathways upon graduation.
Copywriting: The skill of writing persuasive content that motivates readers to take action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service.
Software as a Service (SaaS): A business model where companies deliver software applications over the internet via subscription, often building recurring revenue streams.

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