Side projects are not just 20-somethings coding away in their dorm rooms or the young father who makes his wife angry spending all day at work and every night on his computer. Seth Rosen’s side-project, the International Gem Society (IGS), fits neither stereotype. Rosen is the co-founder of CustomMade, an online marketplace backed by Google Ventures’ that connects customers with independent artisans producing custom-designed furniture, jewelry, home décor and other personalized items.

Four years ago, when I graduated high school, I thought about everything except the reason I was moving hundreds of miles away from my parents, which was to receive my degree. If your parents are footing the bill, then college is not synonymous with freedom. Even if they are not, trust me, college is still not synonymous with freedom.