College Hustle 101

Working towards a degree requires a certain level of hustle. You might have to hustle to make sure you get the best classes, to work with the best people in group projects, or to simply get through the chaos that college life can bring sometimes. College can be a great experience and can provide the perfect place for students to learn and work towards their career goals. It is full of opportunities and resources that are meant to help you develop the skills you need for whatever future career you choose. Yet so often many students overlook or make poor use of these resources that are available to them. No worries, though! In this College Hustle crash course, you will read about some of the resources and opportunities that you might not be fully using to your advantage in your college experience. 

Lesson #1: Promotions? Please!

As a college student, you are a member of one of the most targeted demographics in the business world. Tons of companies from those sell hygiene necessities to fast-food chains to the entertainment industries are promoting themselves in hopes of encouraging you to buy their products or use their services. Plus, the plethora of clubs and organizations on campus are always promoting themselves and hosting events for college students. 

With promotions comes free stuff. All kinds of free stuff, too! Free food, free concert tickets, and never underestimate the power of a free t-shirt! Make full use of these promotions. If an organization is giving out free pizza at an event, then you can save money by not having to buy dinner that night. One time, a company that works with our school gave out sponsored dorm care packages full of laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner, and laundry bag. It saved me money on laundry detergent for a month! Keep an eye out for these promotions, and use them to help save you time and money.  

Lesson #2: Networking will never be easier. 

College is the perfect time to network because you have so many opportunities to meet all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds. You will have the chance to network with experienced professionals, professors, college alumni, and your peers. Networking events like employer receptions, career days, lectures, workshops, and so much more are happening all the time on college campuses, and almost never come at a financial cost to the students! Take advantage of these! Especially if you are planning on going into an extremely competitive career field. Never be afraid to walk up to the speaker after a lecture and ask them questions or to shake hands with the instructor of a workshop after it has ended. Who knows? They may become a connection for you at a company or may be able to offer you some additional advice about your future career.  

Lesson #3: Print, Play, Run, Whatever. 

You have access to many things provided by your school! Important things like printers, computer labs, free wireless internet, and so much more. It might sound obvious to say this but use what is provided to you. You paid for them! It is all covered in your tuition and trying to pay for these on your own can get expensive. Even if you are not using them for school-related stuff, it is still available for your use. Print your business cards, flyers, or cute pictures of your fur baby on the printers. Work out or just lounge by the pool with your free school gym membership. There are also counseling services, resume reviews, career guidance, and the list goes on. Basically, if you need help with something look on your school website, and see if they have a service to help you with it. Utilizing these as much as possible is going to save you tons of time, money, and headache while in college. 

The cliché of the broke, stressed-out college student is unfortunately all too real. However, I hope this college hustle crash course has given some insight on how to make the most out of your college experience. As a final lesson in this course, I leave you this. No matter how well you hustle in college, it will all seem like it was all for nothing if you are not working towards a career that you are happy to be in. 

Lesson #4: Do what you love!