Go to a good college

Go to a good college. It used to be that anyone with a knack for numbers and a lot of friends could become a successful stockbroker. Not so anymore! If you wanna stay competitive, you'll need to get your degree. Economics, finance, mathematics, accounting or business management are all good fields to get your undergrad degree in. And the better college you go to the more prospects you'll have later on the game!

Especially if you're going to grad school, keep your grades up. The better your grades, the more -- and better -- schools will open up to you. Not to mention knowing what you're doing when you hit the exchange floor!

2

Look into internships. Some brokerages hire interns during their last year of college. Hit up your campus' "Investment Club" -- or start one if it doesn't yet exist! Getting that dream internship could make your path to being a bajillionaire a lot easier.

This is your best bet if you're not looking to get your MBA and want to get going as quickly as possible. But know that relaxing is totally a viable option. Plenty of people take a couple of years off, go back to get their MBA and get in the game a little bit later. Also: people are more likely to trust a 28 year-old with their money than a 22 year-old, so feel free to keep that red solo cup and package of ramen in your hand for a second or two more.

3

Consider getting your MBA. Alright, so having an MBA isn't necessary per se, but if you wanna rise to the cream of the crop, having an MBA will put you at the top of that prospective employee stack you're bound to find yourself in eventually. More and more people are getting them, making them par for the course. This step could aid in job advancement, larger signing bonuses and higher compensation.

Again, feel free to take a few years off between undergrad and your MBA. Getting some viable work experience (even if it's menial labor at a bank or a firm) will make your options grow tenfold as well. Showing that you already have a grasp on what you're doing or want to do will get programs to take you more seriously.

4

Educate yourself. Read. Watch. Expose yourself. Learn. This is a field where you can very much so better yourself on your own time. So read books! Watch financial news shows. Follow different stocks and see what rises and what falls. While Joe is off breeding ferrets and Jim is playing football, you'll be ensuring that you walk out of school with a six-figure income to start.

Try William Bernstein's "The Four Pillars of Investing: Lessons for Building a Winning Portfolio," or Mark Hebner's "Index Funds: The 12-Step Program for Active Investors."[1] The Wall Street Journal or NY Times financial section won't hurt either!

You probably know a half a dozen

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