College is a time of exploration. There’s so many opportunities to ask why, state your case, and validate your rationale. One can also easily get sidetracked because there’s much information overload – from studies, people around you, and if you are like me, who attended a city university, you’d find so much diversity of views, cultures, generations, backgrounds, and many more. These are all advantages that should be optimized.
Based on my observations and own experience, here are what I highly recommend to those still in school:
- Have a mentor: Figure out your favorite subject or a subject you’d want to learn more about and reach out to a professor, or someone in that particular department. One way or another, you’d find this creates not only a way to dialogue, to deep dive into the subject, but also to build a lasting relationship. As a bonus, get to know your academic department or even your dean (especially in the degree you are majoring in). It helps to understand their perspective about the degree and for them to get to know you can be a plus for you, as you finish your major and look at future opportunities.
- Find a study buddy: Having worked part-time while in college, this may not be easy, because our schedule is not always reliable and may only allow us to study alone. There were instances though when I joined a study group. Not only did I find it was a good motivator, it also boost my morale and gave comfort knowing others are going through the same stress, but most importantly, it made me feel like I am part of a team going after the same goal. With a buddy, you can determine how well you know the material based on how you are able to explain and simplify it for him, or her.
- Take a class that has nothing to do with your major – a subject that excites you, something you are curious about, maybe in an area that is practical or creative (e.g. voice, real estate, drawing, etc.). Life, in general, would be so colorful when you find a balance. While you need theory and expertise in a particular subject, this time of your life is still at a trial and error stage. Experiment in learning different things. Perhaps you aspire to become a doctor, or surgeon one day – the drawing class may be helpful as you sketch out what you are trying to explain to your patient. Creative electives are also helpful because there’s also part of your brain that craves for something exciting, something you can be passionate about. Depending on the subject, these electives can count towards your credits anyways, so find something fun, something that appeals to you.
- Last, but not the least, enjoy college life and the friendships it brings. True, for some (and me included), the university can be so vast and people come and go. As a combined degree student, the friendships I was fortunate to make were both with undergraduates and graduate students. Many were mostly going for their masters while others were students who come to the US to study. While this was a bit challenging as many of them have jobs during the day and some families, juggling rigorous coursework already, it was great to learn from them, their cultures, and experiences. When we had chance to meet up for dinners or activities, it was also enriching to talk about each other’s lives outside of school. For undergraduates college is another opportunity after elementary and high school, to build friendships and create networks. Successful career journey can blossom from your college experience.
What would you add to this list?
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