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What do you wish you had done differently in college or to get to where you are currently?

#college #career #JULY20

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Doc’s Answer

1.) I DID’NT TALK TO ADVISOR UNTIL I MESSED-UP
I waited until a few weeks before graduation to speak with a career advisor. If I could go back in time, knowing what I know now, I can honestly say that I wouldn’t pick a different major (mine was ART). But I do wish I’d given more consideration to my professional goals earlier on in college. There I was, less than a month away from entering the “real world,” and I hadn’t the foggiest notion of what I wanted to do with my life. Well, not a practical notion. “LIFE INSURANCE CREATIVE DIRECTOR” isn’t exactly a position you’ll find in the classifieds. I was about to start grad school, but even that was something of a game-day decision. I should’ve started thinking—really thinking—about what sort of career I could picture myself in well before graduation.

2. I’VE REGRETTED NOT LIVING ON CAMPUS
I started college at a university that was driving distance from my parents’ house, so in an effort to save on my cost of living, I decided to live at home for my first several semesters. While I’m glad I saved the money, I wish I’d at least lived on campus during my freshman year. I missed out on so many opportunities to meet new people and try new things, and I probably would’ve done better in my classes if I’d lived walking distance from the library. Some schools require students to live on campus for a specified amount of time, but even if your school doesn’t have this requirement, I strongly encourage you to live on campus anyway, at least for your first year or two. You’ll get so much more out of your college experience.

3.) SIT IN ON RANDOM CLASSES
In college, there are some classes we NEED to take to complete our degree. We may not enjoy some of these classes, but we take them anyway. This may leave little room for you to take all the electives you really want to take. Seriously, there are some fascinating and fun courses offered in college these days. One of the great things about college is that professors don’t take attendance for lectures, so you can literally drop in on a random class and no one will notice that you aren’t enrolled in it. By doing so, you can pick up a new skill, find a new interest or expand your knowledge on a topic you love. Steve Jobs spoke about sitting in on a calligraphy class once and it later inspired him when creating fonts for the Macintosh.

4.) I SHOUD’VE GOINED SOME CLUBS
I was painfully shy, and going to a large state school made me feel especially invisible. I was so shy that I was afraid to join any clubs, when in fact that’s exactly what I should’ve done in order to make new friends and break out of my shell. Even if you’re an extrovert, joining a club will help you meet like-minded people, and if you take on a leadership position, it could even help you boost your resume. Finding ways to get involved in campus life outside the classroom can help you get out of your comfort zone and open you up to new adventures.

5.) I DID’NT TATE ADVANTAGE OF INTERNSHIPS
Unfortunately, a college degree alone isn’t always enough to “wow” potential employers. The job market is competitive, and internships are a great way to give you a leg up. I didn’t do any internships, and when it came time to go on job interviews, that hole in my résumé was generally met with a chilly, dismissive glare. It’s one thing to get an education, but it’s another thing entirely to demonstrate that you can put that education into practice. If you have the time and can afford to work for free, I strongly encourage you to do at least one internship before you graduate.

Amelia regardless of what you decide to do (or not do) in college, the experience is going to be uniquely yours. Be sure to make the most of it!

I Hope this was Helpful Amelia
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much! Amelia
Thank you comment icon Your Welcome Amelia. The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. Doc Frick
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Shalee’s Answer

Not knowing where you are on your journey with school I will just say from my experience I started and stopped a lot. Either due to personal issues or just being unfocused and I really wish I would have just started and stuck with it. I felt I had a lot of overlap in classes and studies that I feel I could have otherwise avoided.

I also recommend getting more involved, either by living on campus, joining clubs, partaking in internships and volunteering. Open up your networking opportunities early, it is always beneficial to build relationships.
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Gloria’s Answer

For me, my biggest regret in college was not staying the course at one university and getting the degree within the traditional four years. It took me 17 years and five different universities to really find my way to a Bachelor's Degree. I think that if I had more realistic goals for college that I would have made it. It took me all that time to learn that you can get a college degree, any degree, has value. I kept searching for the "right" degree when I didn't know what I really wanted to do.

These days, there is really just a sense that you have a college degree in whatever major that will allow you to get a job. Now, some careers actually require a very specific diploma, however it is not actually in as much demand as I thought when I was 18. It took me some time to figure out my career so I might have also waited to get started in college at an older age.
Thank you comment icon Thank you! Amelia
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Brittany’s Answer

Great question Amelia! There is not much I would have changed, however, if there was one thing I do wish I would have taken a few more business courses. I majored in Psychology and minored in Sociology, so I gained a lot of knowledge around people and how they think and behave in different social circumstances. However, having more general business knowledge is appropriate for any lifestyle or any job. I ended up taking a Business Administration online course that I just completed, and the basics were very helpful.

Beyond that, I've been fairly happy with my experience at college - I was able to volunteer as a Research Assistant and led to a summer job and was a great networking opportunity. I was also able to move away from my parents which taught me a ton of life skills.

Overall, college was a phenomenal experience, teaching me accountability, interpersonal/teamwork skills, time management skills, and so much more. You will have a blast!
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Karina’s Answer

This is a great question! I am very happy with where I am now, but do believe I missed out on opportunities because I was fearful of negative outcomes. These three things are:

-choosing internships based on finances and not taking advantage of doing research with professors
-not traveling more, whether through study abroad or just on breaks. College is the easiest time to travel because once you are in a career it is extremely difficult to get long periods of time off. I went to college away from my family and spent all my breaks going back home but do wish I had taken more advantage of exploring new places.
-I ended up choosing a major that was safer than the major I was really passionate about (environmental science over marine science). They're both adjacent, but had I gone with my gut, I would have had more opportunities in the field that I ended up being in anyways!

**Two things I don't regret are trying lots of new volunteers opportunities and moving home after college. The latter has a lot of negative connotations but it allowed me to travel for several months after graduating before moving back to my parents house for a year. This helped me organize my career trajectory, work a job I was passionate about, and save money until the right career came along that paid enough to allow me to live on my own.

Karina recommends the following next steps:

Determine your goals for your career and what you need to do to get there
Find opportunities within your campus or community that relate to your goals
Proactively create a good school/life balance by planning vacations on winter, spring and summer break
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Devin’s Answer

I wish I had utilized my university's resources more. My university had a career center, writing center, countless advisors, and more that was all designed for students to use. Ultimately, I found myself using them sparingly and only when absolutely necessary. If your university has any resources (advisors, career centers, workshops, etc.), use them! You won't regret gaining skills and building relationships with people on campus. All the resources were designed to help students graduate and get jobs, so use them.
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Melanie’s Answer

I wish I had gotten out of my introvert shell and joined more networking groups on campus. Everyone says building your network in college is so important and back then, I felt like joining a club or two and making some acquaintances here and there was enough- let me tell you, it can be enough for some folks, however, building stronger relationships and continuing to nurture them outside of college is really the secret sauce.
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Katie’s Answer

I wish I had taken more electives or "fun" classes, like bee-keeping, bowling, poetry, or floral design. It's a great opportunity to get outside of your comfort zone and try new things/meet new people!

Similarly, I regret not studying abroad. I was concerned about the financial aspect and unsure about leaving my friends. Looking back, I'm sure I could've worked hard and figured out the finances. And I would have been able to meet new people and discover new places.

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Linda’s Answer

I concur with an earlier answer. Oh how I wished I had done at least one internship, if not more. Internships, along with community service engagement, would have made me a more attractive candidate when applying for jobs. I graduated from college not really knowing what I wanted to do. Internships would have allowed me not only to identify, but also "test out" possible career interests. I have seen too many student in my 25 years of university teaching who had their hearts set on particular careers only to find out, after completing internships, that this was really not a line of work they wanted to pursue. I would have learned so much about myself and my career aspirations if only I had taken advantage of the internship opportunities presented to me.
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