USD: Lessons & Life

When I walked into my first finance class, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect: numbers, spreadsheets, maybe a graph or two. What I did not expect was how different finance feels from any other subject I have taken, and how much it would change the way I think. Finance does not let you slide by with memorization or last minute cramming. It forces you to understand concepts clearly, to problem solve with intention, and to stay calm when a formula looks like it

When people talk about college, they usually imagine the classic four-year path: move into a dorm at 18, make instant lifelong friends, join clubs, sit on a grassy lawn between classes, and graduate with a picture-perfect experience. My reality? I started at community college, and not because I wanted the “budget-friendly alternative” or the “smart financial start” that people like to spin it as. I started there because life put me on pause. Between surgeries, recovery, and b