My Review on The Knowledge Society (TKS) After 2 Years
For the last 2 years, I’ve been a student at The Knowledge Society (TKS). These 2 years have such a life-changing experience in ways I couldn’t have even imagined before because of this program that I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything else.
Before joining the program, my ultimate goal was to study Computer Science at MIT or Stanford and then work as a software engineer at a big tech company. My definition of success was defined by society rather than myself (ie. going to a prestigious university, working at a big tech company and becoming rich). But I never really thought about or tested what I thought would make me fulfilled. Instead, I was chasing this fantasized destination of “success” that would somehow make me happy for the rest of my life.
During the TKS program, I got to learn about mindsets and frameworks like root-cause analysis. This is still the mindset I use most not for breaking down problems related to my work, but also personal issues, such as my life goals and whether they’re motivated by the need for external validation. I think this is one of the most valuable things I’ve gained from this experience since these mindsets/frameworks help me work on the right things, instead of working hard and spending time on things that won’t actually benefit me in the long run.
Reflecting on the last two years of the program, I’ve realized that my experience isn’t something I’d get anywhere else. One of my favourite sessions was when we broke down Elon Musk’s formula for creating his companies and brainstormed business ideas using this framework. Where else would a teen be able to learn, discuss and use Elon’s framework for creating companies?
Another one of my favourite memories are the times we analyzed business case studies based on actual companies that students at Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School analyze. These case studies were so valuable and fun for me since it really pushed my analysis and decision making skills to the fullest when limited information was available, like most real-life business scenarios.
This is another one of the many experiences that would be hard for a typical teen to access. It’s this type of unique training and community that made this program so valuable and life-changing to me.
I’m forever grateful for all the friends, directors and mentors I met during these 2 years.
