When we hear the phrase ‘post college,’ most of us picture some grey area – the unknown that is said to occur after graduation. As tempting as it is to stay in college forever, graduation is, hopefully, inevitable for most of us. We should try our best to be prepared for those endeavors that, as young people with college degrees, we are encouraged to experience. There are certain behaviors, both small and large, that we should (I know, I hate the s-word too) be participating in at some point in our four years here. All I’m here to do is suggest some of these behaviors that might get you a leg up each year so that you’re not floundering at the beginning of senior year with your backup plan of living at home with your parents becoming your primary plan.
Freshman Year:
If you’re going to spend any year being lazy and convincing yourself you have time to get your act together, it’s freshman year. But while productivity may be put on the back burner in favor of exploring Five Points for the first, or thousandth, time, there are a few small things that you won’t regret doing if you decide to open your mind up to opportunities other than alcohol:
-Go to the Career Center. This place is the best. Located on the sixth floor of the business building (until next fall, sorry guys), it is a great tool for finding a major that fits you. For example, it has personality tests like the Meyers-Briggs and JobMate, which can help you locate anything from a part-time job to an internship.
-USC puts on a HUGE student organization fair at the beginning of every semester. You can sign up for anything from political groups to service clubs to USC’s Quidditch League and everything in-between. Even if you don’t sign up for anything right away, this is a great place to see what’s out there and, let’s be honest, get free stuff.
-If you’re like me and you struggled with even the basics of college-level algebra and geology, go to the SI (supplemental instruction) sessions. Seriously, they help. Talk to your TA, and ask when you can get some extra help outside of class. Believe me, you’re never going to have more free time than you do your freshman year. Go to the help sessions. You won’t regret it.
-Carolina Productions puts on events in Russell House all the time. They may seem lame at first, but functions like First Night Carolina are a great way to meet people from your dorm or elsewhere, and to find out what’s going on around campus. Carolina Productions is a super cool club that brings in famous people every semester and all of the events are free.
Sophomore:
This is the year you might actually want to start considering your future. You’ll be in a weird educational and professional limbo – you’ll still be trying to have as much fun as humanly possible, but grades may be catching up with you, and you will realize you may not have time left to take all the classes you wanted. Who knows, you may not even have a major yet.
ONE-Go to the Career Center, again, but for different reasons. This year etiquette dinners, information sessions about potential employers, internship information and resume workshops are a few services that may apply to you. Drop in anytime from 1-4 p.m. and have an expert help make your resume look and sound great.
-Talk with your advisor about the classes you will need for your major, and try to get the rest of your gen-eds out of the way. They may sound easy, but you don’t want to be caught having to take something like Geology 101 your senior year when you could be taking something more enjoyable that actually applies to your major. Make sure you have all the info about what you need to take so you can graduate on time.
-Get a folder or a binder and keep a file of job-related materials in it. These can be copies of your resume, business cards from employers, tips and papers from workshops you attend or study abroad materials. You can even keep copies of papers you’ve excelled on to submit as samples for grad school. Keep them in a safe place, and by senior year you’ll have a ready-made job search tool.
Junior:
This is when it will feel like real life is actually starting. You will worry about everything, but it will be okay as long as you keep up with the things that are most important to you. This year, it will be beneficial to start networking if you haven’t already. Your professors may start employing the phrase, ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.’ And they’re right.
-Career Fest and SET (Science, Engineering and Technology): These are career fairs put on the by the Career Center (yes, them again) every fall and spring at the Metropolitan Convention Center. They’re great tools for meeting potential employers and talking with them about possible job and internship opportunities. It’s also a great networking opportunity.
-After you meet people and get their cards, get on LinkedIn, which may sound lame, but it’s a great way to keep in touch with potential contacts and people you may have met at a job fair.
-If you’re looking to go to grad school, this is the year to do your research. Starting to plan for applications early is something that you will be forever grateful to yourself for doing. Also, figuring out what kind of GPA and credential you need to be accepted into the institution of your choice will be incredibly helpful.
Senior:
It’s here, and you probably want to cry. Leaving college has actually become a realistic topic, and you want to both avoid it and embrace it. No matter how you feel about leaving, this is the most important year yet in terms of job hunting and a professional career.
-Obviously, grades are still important. “Senioritis” is a tempting disease to catch, but try your hardest to keep up the good work as you’re rounding out the last of your classes.
-Hone your communication skills with people you meet, and try to resist the urge to go out every single night.
-Preparing for the GRE is necessary if you want to go to grad school. Get information on when and where to take it, and study up. USC offers GRE information sessions, and you can buy prep books in the bookstore. It’s like the SAT all over again.
-Talk to your professors. You are older now, and should be able to strike up a conversation with your favorite professor about any personal experiences he or she might have had in their field and for any advice about graduating that can be passed down to you. At this point, you should only be taking classes for your major, and your professors have been there and done that. So stay after class once or twice, or go to office hours, and see if you can get any professional insight on what might come next.
Overall, being generally proactive throughout your college career is going to serve you better than you may think. Keeping up your grades, exploring new avenues and getting help where you need it are all things that can get – and keep – you ahead of the game just in time for graduation.
