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Class of 2025, meet your 2040 self: 9 steps to own the future
Class of 2025, meet your 2040 self: 9 steps to own the future Premium
“I know that strength doesn't come without a plan.
I know the sweet, but it doesn't come without cavities.”
~ Lines from ‘Believer', a song by Imagine Dragons.
Hey, student in Class 12,
You must be really busy getting ready for your board exams right now. That's good. That is exactly what you need to do. But let's be honest: the world you're going into, especially the university, is not the same as the one your parents or even your older siblings knew. Don't believe the myth of a settled career. It is about a landscape that changes faster than your Wi-Fi signal.
And this isn't a stranger giving you wise advice. This is you in the future. Picture yourself in the year 2040 talking to your version of 2025. See what comes out of the conversation between you in 2025 and the future you of 2040.
You don't need to rush to get into engineering or medicine without a plan. Stop. Take a deep breath. What really gets your brain going? Is it coding, designing, solving environmental puzzles, or maybe even explaining complex ideas to your grandma? Work it out. This isn't just about work; it's about getting up each day with excitement. Your passion is what makes you special.
What does it cost? A few hours of honest self-reflection and a session with a career counsellor who will not sell you a certain college. A small investment that has great returns.
This is not up for discussion; it's not negotiable. Various platforms focus on holistic development and give you the skills you need for the future.
Be a critical thinker: The skill of looking at information, questioning what you think you know, and making logical decisions. When AI gives you answers, you need to be able to tell which ones are correct and why. Being creative means thinking outside the box. It means coming up with new ways to solve problems and ideas that machines can't copy. This is where human genius really shines.
Be a better communicator: Being able to clearly explain your ideas, whether you're giving a presentation to stakeholders or explaining a tricky idea to a coworker. It helps to be an active listener and a digitally savvy person who can create documents and charts to explain stuff.
Build a collaborative mindset: It is of great importance to be able to work well with people from different backgrounds, cultures, and places. A single genius working alone won't be able to solve any big problems in the future.
Cost: You should beinvolved in school projects, debates, and community events. You can invest approximately ₹2,000 to ₹10,000 for workshops on public speaking or design thinking. It is very important for getting a job in the future.
Don't just scroll through Instagram. The future speaks in numbers, code, and digital tools. You don't have to be a coding genius, but you should know the basics of Python, how data tells a story, and why your passwords are important. Not up for discussion. This is your passport to being digitally literate.
Cost in the future: Thousands of free tutorials on the web. If you get serious, you can pay for certifications (₹5,000–₹25,000). Essentially, you are upgrading your brain's operating system.
School days may be over. But learning isn't. Every day, new tech brings new problems. Be interested. Read a lot. Watch movies about real life. Just learn something new because you want to. Your ability to change and learn new things will be your most useful skill.
Future Cost: ₹500 to ₹2,000 a month for books and online subscriptions. Your brain will be grateful.
Your network isn't just the people you know; it's also the people who know you and why. Get in touch with people who motivate you. Get some mentors. Talk to people who work in fields you admire. Your classmates today might be your business partners or coworkers tomorrow. Don't be shy; everyone had to start somewhere.
LinkedIn Premium (optional, ₹1,000–₹2,000 per month) and travel to cool conferences (variable, often ₹0–₹10,000 if local) are costs that will come up in the future.
Internships are not just for people in college. Sign up to help with projects. Start a small business on the side. Make something. You learned something, even if it doesn't work. Practical experience is like a superpower that makes theory into real skills.
Cost: ₹5,000 to ₹20,000 a month for transportation and living expenses during internships. Things you need for your passion projects (₹0–5,000+).
You need to know how money works whether you work for someone else or for yourself. How to make a budget, how to understand investments, and how a business makes money. These aren't just for students who study business. Freedom is being financially literate.
Cost: A few good books (₹200–₹1,000) or an online course (Free to ₹15,000). Hopefully, you won't have to eat ramen anymore.
Involve yourself in AI that is moral. Business that lasts. Respect and ensure privacy of data. These aren't just buzzwords; they're where the future will be fought. Consider how your work will affect others. People and businesses with a strong sense of right and wrong will be the ones who really lead.
Cost: mostly your time and careful thought about global issues (Free!).
Your online presence is like a professional handshake. Take care of your social media. Make a profile on LinkedIn. Show off your skills and work. This isn't being vain; it's a smart move. In a world full of noise, it's your digital billboard.
Cost will be a professional headshot (₹500–₹2,000) and possibly a personal website domain (₹1,000–₹5,000 per year). Be careful!
Don't Blink! You are training for future job roles
Don't worry about old-fashioned titles. You're getting ready for jobs that don't even exist yet. Consider these roles whose presence and importance will grow:
AI Ethicist: The moral compass for our robot overlords (just kidding, most of the time).
Prompt Engineer: Teaching AI to be smart (and maybe not just write bad poems).
Data Storyteller: Making interesting stories out of huge amounts of data.
Sustainability Architect: Making the world a cleaner, greener place.
Digital Twin Engineer: making digital copies of everything, from cities to factories.
Experience Designer: Making AR/VR worlds that people can really get into.
Be open to change, not set in stone. Your degree is a springboard, not a prison.
College (B.Tech, B.Sc, BBA, B.Com): Build a strong base. Don't just follow the latest trend; learn the basic ideas. Computer Science, Data Science, Environmental Engineering, accounting or banking, marketing or Business Administration are all good places to start.
Mix it Up: Find colleges that let you study more than one subject at a time. A Computer Science major with a minor in humanities? Great! A degree in business with a focus on data analysis? That's even better!
Postgraduate (M.Tech, MBA, M.Sc.): This is where you focus. Pick your poison of knowledge: AI, machine learning, sustainable business, product management, or health informatics.
You can make the future what you want it to be. It will be hard, exciting, and always changing. But with curiosity, flexibility, and these steps—especially the four Cs that sites like mysathi.org promote—you won't just keep up; you'll be in charge. Now, back to those tests for the board!
(Sign up for THEdge, The Hindu's weekly education newsletter.)
Published - November 04, 2025 04:56 pm IST
education / students
Source: The Hindu
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