I tried really hard to think of a better way of looking at things than the “freshman year” method you described here, and so far I’ve failed to think of anything better.
No matter how you look at it (long timelines and short), the critical window period resembles an undergrad degree better than anything else; there’s a standard of one year for orienting, and more time afterwards to do exploration in order to really make sure you find a place you can shine (though three years is too late). But anyone is much much better off if they can successfully finish up the exploration phase ASAP.
I tried really hard to think of a better way of looking at things than the “freshman year” method you described here, and so far I’ve failed to think of anything better.
No matter how you look at it (long timelines and short), the critical window period resembles an undergrad degree better than anything else; there’s a standard of one year for orienting, and more time afterwards to do exploration in order to really make sure you find a place you can shine (though three years is too late). But anyone is much much better off if they can successfully finish up the exploration phase ASAP.