Four Tips to Get the Most Value from Your College Experience
It's a big investment - get the most from it!
Four Tips to Get the Most Value from Your College Experience
Collaborative article with Allie Grill
Originally Published in The Daily Item on August, 6 2023
Millions of young Americans will go to college – or go back to college – in the next month. Many people put a lot of weight into a college’s “ranking” when choosing their college. But we’ll let you in on a secret. The ranking of the college you attend is not nearly as important as what you do once you are there. Almost all colleges and universities offer amazing opportunities that can foster growth and help prepare you for the next step in your life. Here we provide four tips for you to get the most of college.
1. Get to know your professors
Your professors went to school for a long time to teach. The vast majority become professors because they are passionate about working with students. They will be excited to meet you, and meeting them will likely provide immediate benefits like a better understanding of material, and as a result, better grades. Connections with your professors also have long term benefits. They can serve as a reference for you in future scholarship, internship or job applications. Professors can also serve as a mentor. After all, your professors will get to know you and your academic and professional goals. As a result, they may refer you to opportunities on and off campus and also provide a list of possible networking connections to help launch your future career. To get to know your professor, first show up to class and actively participate. You can also visit your professor during office hours (note, those hours are specifically designed for professors to work with students).
2. Take advantage of the career center
Research shows that college students who visit their career center early and often have better career-related outcomes and higher salaries post-graduation. There’s no secret to this success – career centers can help students craft a four-year career development plan and offer resources, connections, and career events to put the plan in action. You should visit with their career center at least once per semester. Early in your academic experience, topics may include discussing career pathways related to your major, exploring interests, finding internships, and building and updating a professional resume and LinkedIn profile. In later years, topics may include networking, job searching, applying to graduate school, and interviewing techniques.
3. Join groups and clubs
Students can build relationships with other students and hone skills related to their future career through extracurricular opportunities. For example, you can participate in clubs related to your major or related to an interest that is of particular importance to you. For example, on our campus there are well over 100 student clubs and they include groups as varied as the Marketing Club, the Health Care Club, and the Paranormal Club. While each club is clearly different, students in each gather to discuss interests that they have in common, listen to and network with guest speakers, plan university-wide events, and potentially fundraise for a cause. These experiences can be rewarding, as you will work with others on something either personally or professionally meaningful, while also sharpening teamwork, communication, and leadership skills.
4. Network with alumni
Alumni (those who have already graduated from your college) are great resources for making the most of your college experience. Alumni are ambassadors of your institution, and they also provide opportunities, including internships and jobs, through their own connections or employers. Alumni want to help students be successful and often want to give back to their alma mater by sharing their talents with the campus. Many colleges welcome alumni back to campus to present to classes, give lectures, and to participate in networking and career events. You should take advantage of your university’s alumni network by attending events, introducing yourself, gathering contact information, and following up with these connections with a thank you. Your college may also have alumni mentorship programs to formalize this support.
For those in college – your time will fly by and it will be over before you know it! You are making a big investment of time and money and you will want to be prepared to launch into the next phase of life. We hope these tips help you get the most out of your investment!
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Allie Grill is Director of the Career Development Center and Matthew Rousu is Dean of the Sigmund Weis School of Business at Susquehanna University