Now that I am on my way to completing my undergraduate degree, I feel grateful, sad, and anxious all at once.
Although I’m filled with emotions, my time here at San Jose State University has taught me some things about academics, internships, and ways to make personal connections.
Academics
See your advisors (specifically your major advisor).
If you plan to graduate in a timely manner, I cannot stress seeing your major advisors enough. If you ever have any questions or concerns, you can always ask them. Just don’t wait until the last week of the semester because that’s when everyone is scrambling and trying to get their lives together, so their availability is limited.
Go to Office Hours
If you’re ever struggling in life and need extra help in your classes during the semester, you want to make sure you have some sort of connection with your professors or instructors. They can’t read your mind and have way too many students to keep track of. To be honest, no one really goes to office hours, so take advantage of this time to ask questions about the class, material, or extensions (if you really need it because of realistic circumstances).
Informing your professor of what’s going on in your life will help them understand what you need, and oftentimes they’ll permit you the extra help because you’re showing effort (as long as you don’t wait until the last minute to do so).
Contribute to Class Discussions
Like I said before, the only way professors will put a name to a face is if you volunteer to ask and answer questions. This is a great opportunity to flex your knowledge and show that you want to learn. Many students won’t respond to the professor, so taking the initiative shows your investment. Brownie points.
Internships
Do an internship that aligns with your path; otherwise, you might just be wasting your time. Internships can lead to future job opportunities if you mesh well with the company. If you’re genuinely interested in a specific field, an internship within this area will either give you experience that will put you that much closer to your end goal or, even better, you could be offered a position there, following your internship course.
Making Personal Connections
Join organizations/clubs.
It can be a pain walking on 7th Street with all of the sororities, fraternities, and clubs asking you to join; however, if I hadn’t gathered the courage to walk down that strip, I wouldn’t have been willing to be as social as I was in this organization and I definitely wouldn’t be writing for Her Campus at SJSU right now.
Go to the gym.
Healthy chemicals are released when you workout that boost your mood, self-confidence, and focus. If you’re someone who is consistent with your schedule, you may run into the same people over and over. Reach out to these people because, who knows, you might become friends, or at the very least, they’ll be someone you can acknowledge when you walk into the gym. It can be a daunting place, so seeing someone you know can increase your gym experience.
What are you planning on integrating into your life? Let us know, @HerCampusSJSU!