Life is never easy for a student trying to be independent. I always felt like I was living two lives , one as a student to complete my degree and make my parents happy , and the other trying to free myself from burdens and be successful by staring at red and green candles on a chart that was totally random.
I started trading because I wanted to be financially free and also give my parents what they have given me all these years,but balancing college with trading is not as easy as it seems.
This article will clear out the doubts in your heads on what trading while studying in a college is like– the difficulties , the errors and the lessons I learnt that made me more focused and calmer towards trading.
Why I Chose Trading
Like any other student I started browsing the internet to find ways to make money online.
I saw videos all day long about free lancing , internships , apps that can make money simply by tapping and what not .Everything seemed so easy at the start of the race but soon I realised it was my cup of tea.
Days passed by and my friend introduced to to one the trending youtuber online who was making money online by just sitting front of a computer which was turning green and red and all he did was choose a direction , ade me wonder what was that, thats how i was pulled into trading
After a lot of searching and watching videos online I thought”why cant i do trading?” That's where my journey began and I wanted to learn it.
At first it was really hard to understand Trading, but soon i got a hang of it , slowly turning the table towards my side
I started doing demo trading with which i got a little greedy and ending up losing money – a lot of it
It used to bother me mentally as I felt even this wasn't made for me to be successful. I blamed myself for not focusing enough and thought I was lucky enough , but it didn't take me time to realise I was being greedy and luck was not a factor to be profitable.
Trading was more about psychology and consistency , I knew I had to come everyday to the charts just so that I could make this work.Patients was the only choice I had with everything else falling apart.
Balancing College With Trading
Earlier when I was just starting, I was always on my phone checking the charts and waiting for opportunities – the worst possible thing to do.
I was humbled real quick , my grades went down and my trades were really off from what i used to do in demo, one decision i made that helped me out of this was to make a easy routine that i could follow with discipline:
Early morning : check for news of the day that will affect the market movements, but not opening charts yet
During the day: focus on studies strictly ,and distracting myself from the charts
Evening: relax after college and finish pending works
Early Dawn: prep for the days trading , Analise the markets and make plans on the expected move that to take place
Dawn(New York open):wait for the market to show me its face and take a A+ setup trade regardless of the outcome of the trade
Night : journal my trades and my day and make improvements on the mistakes that took place
Trading was never about making money for me it was about consistency , discipline, being calm and considerate about how to stay patient and not give up
How Trading Has Affected My Lifestyle
Lets go through some things that lead my way outside the charts and markets:
You can't beat patients . You can't expect to get successful quick–not in life , not in trading
Controlling emotions is key– FOMO and anger can lead to disasters.
Discipline always outdoes motivation . Some days you will want to be in the comfort but you should be never give up
Fail fast, learn faster . winning gives u happiness but failing teaches you how to get to that happiness
How To Control Your Emotions
Everyday isn't going to be a Sunday , some days are going to bring you to the ground – exams ,bad trades , mental breakdowns
Losing a trade was like losing myself for me , but now i cant it as a opportunity and breathe .
If the market doesn't show me its hand i keep my hands down, i shift my focus to my other pending works.
The more patiently i wait , the more clear it is to me – this is how even life works .
Tips for New Traders as a College Student
Only risk money u can afford to lose . small beginnings will go great heights
Knowledge over money , before you can earn learn how to do it , which will automatically get u what you need
Balance everything , college is still your foundation – don't ignore it
Journal everyday – at the end of the day all that matters is you reflect on your mistakes you made and make better decisions tomorrow, whether it be trading or your life
Always stay calm and patient– it helps you build yourself
FAQs
Q1: Can studies and trading be managed together?
Yes– but with a clear plan/routine and by managing time . its not only about spending hours in chart; it about not giving up and being disciplined enough to learn
Q2:How much do I need to start ?Does it have to be a bid amount?
No– always start with small amounts , even better start with demo and make you way up gradually
Q3:Can I do this ?
Yes– everybody can do it . You need to be patient , control your emotions , not click buttons randomly or out of fomo.
Conclusion – the real truth
Trading is not about money , luxury and charts , it's about how calm and patient a person can stay when things aren't going their way , how not to lose control over oneself, and how to stay consistent even if failure is all that you are experiencing .
I am not perfect , i haven't been trading all day , i am still a learner – everyday i learn a new thing about trading , life and college
And that's what I was finding all my life , it was about staying disciplined and working on self: not being greedy for money, but becoming a man who can learn and make something out of nothing even if the world is against him. learn from your mistakes . i am still learning on how to do Trading While In College
