Now that midterms are over and you aced those exams, it’s time to relax and let loose. Make sure you celebrate yourself and your accomplishments. You are already through the first half of your fall semester of college. That is something to be proud of and before you know it, we will be in our spring semester and crossing the stage in a few years, months, and even weeks for some people. For most people, going to college and pursuing your bachelor’s degree has been talked about since you were a child. You were told through elementary school and middle school. In high school your teachers and peers say that education is important and that school now is preparing you for college life, but, no one talks about life after crossing the college stage. What are the next steps? What if I don’t have a job until graduation? What if I want to pursue my master’s? It can be very overwhelming to think about life after graduation and scary not knowing what is expected from the future.
For starters, know that you aren’t alone. About thirty-seven percent of graduates don’t know what they want to do after they graduate, but that is okay because there is always something out there for everyone. To be prepared for graduation you should use your college years wisely.
For example, be involved on your campus. No matter if you are majoring in mass communications, biology, sports, etc, make sure you are showing up to events that are happening on your college campus. Being involved is a good way to make friends and make connections that can benefit you in the future.
Also, join different organizations that cater to what you major in and/or what you want to pursue. Within those organizations, you can also meet people who have the same interests and career goals as you, and you guys can grow from each other. That is also another way to make connections. You never know who knows who and being in these organizations can open so many doors and opportunities during your undergrad and/or after you cross the graduation stage
While in your undergrad you should also be looking for job/internship opportunities.
Don’t wait until your senior year to start to network and look for opportunities in the real world because by that time you’re already too late if you want a job by graduation. It’s never too early to start networking. Don’t start networking when you want a job or an internship. Network with your peers and your friends. These are people you are going to be relying on now and even in the future.
These are suggestions that can help you have a jumpstart with your life after college. What you do now does matter and will impact you and your future. So start now so by the time you cross the graduation stage you already have one step in the door.