3 Tips for New 2021 Students
The first tip I have is to be outgoing. When I first got to college, something I never really enjoyed was putting myself out there. This always felt like a burden and it made me feel uncomfortable. Before the pandemic hit, I started to see the benefits of being even a little outgoing. Meeting new people led me to the right organizations and even employers that changed my college career. I credit all this to being a little outgoing and introducing myself. This can be nerve-wracking because not everyone is comfortable with just talking to people they have never met. However, I learned that doing this more frequently can erase your fears of talking to new people. One thing I did was challenge myself to talk to two new people every day. This was crucial for my confidence and overall it was a lot of fun. One tip I have learned is that managers and bosses love employees that are outgoing and hardworking, not just the latter. Practicing these skills in college can really benefit you when you’re in the workforce.
Another tip I have is to be active with the career center. The career center helped me out a ton when it came to getting an internship. I would go frequently to ask questions about interviews, take mock interviews, and get resume/cover letter help. All of this came together in the fall of 2020 recruiting season, as I was fortunate enough to get an internship offer. I give all the credit to the career resource center. They prepared me really well for interviews and gave the best advice for my career. As a new student, I would go to the career center and start putting together a resume with them. With a good resume, you can start applying to jobs and internships. Also, you should update your resume every quarter with any new experiences or organizations that you joined. On top of resumes and the career center, you want to set up a LinkedIn page to network. LinkedIn is a powerful tool that can help you find job opportunities. Updating your LinkedIn like your resume is important and can push you in the right direction for your career path.
My final tip is to take your class registration seriously. A lot of factors can determine your grade in a class. In my opinion, I believe your instructor is the biggest factor when it comes to deciding your grade. With that being said, why not change the circumstance in your favor. When it comes to deciding general ed courses and the less major focused courses, I would read reviews on the classes and use rate my professor to see which instructor is the best for a certain course. This can help you determine which classes are better suited for you to receive a good grade but also which classes you should take.
The most important tip I have is to be engaged in your classes. The classes I did the best in were the ones where I was actually very invested in the topics and stayed engaged during the class. Hopefully, these tips help you in your coming years.
~ Sneh