I am not that old, but I have gone through a competitive high school, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering degrees in college for undergrad and master's, and I have worked for a couple years now.
This is my advice for people who have always wanted to know: "how did he do it?"
I expect to periodically revise these articles as I learn more and my perspectives evolve.
Naturally, as I went through a technical major and ended up at a big tech job, my advice will be more useful for people who are pursuing a similar path.