Took a non-linear path after college and it was hard. I remember watching my friends who had such predictable lives: finish school with a high GPA, get to McKinsey for 3 years, spend 1 year doing an MBA in the UK or US, become a director at Big Corp, and work for 5-10 years to become a board member. But it just wasn't for me. My path was much more complicated, I had to find it myself, and probably earned less money by following it. But it was my path, and although it might have been stressful, at least it was never boring.