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What are the must do’s as a college student to leverage your tertiary education experience for professional success?

As a first year student, I often find myself overwhelmed by the different opportunities available to me on and off campus just simply by being a student. I get really divided and stuck in between not wanting to miss out and getting involved is absolutely everything and focusing my efforts on a few. Is there any tips anyone can give to help navigate this. #student #college-student #students #student-affairs #student-development #JULY20

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Krasti’s Answer

Hi Chantay,

You are right that being a college student can be overwhelming with the amount of opportunities out there. I would recommend to try to take advantage of as many opportunities as you can while staying organized and not letting your grades suffer. Keep a planner to help keep track of events you would like to participate in, and outline a schedule so you know how much available time you have left after you dedicate some time to attend classes and study. Keeping a planner can help you become less overwhelmed because you get to jot everything down instead of storing everything in your mind. Trust me, the more opportunities and activities you become involved in, the more you start to forget about the next deadline, exam, etc. Another recommendation is to prioritize. You don't need to get involved in every single organization that the campus offers. Just prioritize and pick the ones that interest you the most, especially those that will also help you grow in your leadership or personal development. Most importantly, enjoy your time in college and don't worry about missing out.
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Simeon’s Answer

It's important to learn how to say no to doing everything. I'd write down everything you're doing and all the groups you're in on a sheet of paper and rank each one in importance from zero to ten. Then, starting from ten down, move the line down one number at a time until you are satisfied that everything above that line is what you need. Even if you can do everything, there's a good chance you're going to either wear yourself out or decrease the quality of your most important work/groups by trying to stretch yourself too thin. Remember that most of what you do in college isn't going to matter after you land that first job. Most of the career world is about how much experience you have and who you know, not how many groups you participated in during college.
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Michael’s Answer

Don't join a ton of orgs just because you think it will look good. Find something you actually enjoy. Sometimes what you enjoy can turn into a career without even knowing it. When I was in college I loved working with the camp for incoming Freshman and teaching the university Freshmen entry course. I was just doing it because I liked it, but right before I graduated (and had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do) I was told about Student Affairs and applied to a Master's program last minute. What I thought was just a fun time in college ended up being what I turned into a career for over a decade.

And on top of that, you don't have to feel trapped in your field either. I worked in Student Affairs for a decade and then switched to an education adjacent company because life changed and I wanted to work from home now that I had kids. While my degrees were not necessary for this new job, they gave me the connections needed to be able to learn about it and get hired.

So long story short: have as much fun as possible in college doing what you love WITHOUT failing courses. Do what you need to so you can secure the degree, but the other experiences can be just (if not more) important.
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Sydney’s Answer

I think it would be good for you to maybe set some boundaries for yourself to ensure you aren't doing too much. I think you could also maybe think about your passions and what would help you get to those passions or those hobbies you'd like to do.
I think professional wise, you would attend career fairs and surround yourself with those who are like-minded to help keep you on that path. Whereas, for social fun, again that could be surrounding yourself with friends and finding where your passions align.
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