North Central College is meant to prepare students for assimilation into the outside world. The sum of all the knowledge and experiences we earn through countless homework assignments, group projects and research papers are expected to transform into a currency that will carry weight in the productive adult workforce, helping forge the necessary connections and open the right doors for pioneering academics such as ourselves.
Well, I’m here to tell you that the world doesn’t work like that. Your graduation ceremony doesn’t end with your first six-figure salary, and your diploma doesn’t have the secret password to the millionaire’s club on the back in fine print. If you expect to make the transition from student to productive member of society to go as swimmingly as possible, then there are a few things that you have to do.
As college students, it’s very easy to get comfortable with the self-sustaining ecosystem that is a college campus. We come here to learn, to socialize, to eat, to sleep, and even to work, for some. Our needs and wants are met, for the most part, and this lifestyle is one that does not always necessitate consideration of the outside world.
But don’t be fooled; potential jobs aren’t presented to you on a golden platter. In order to ensure an open door to your desired career path, effort must be made to not only make yourself more marketable, but to start thinking like a real, responsible breadwinner.
Procrastination can be said to be one of the great unsung motivators of our collegiate lives. For some, inspiration only strikes when the deadline looms overhead, poised to strike at any moment.
Therefore, spring term is as good a time as any for imminent graduates to gather their courage and fight for their right to parse even more valuable skills and resources from their classes and student organizations.
Working on your future while still chasing those last credits:
1. Learn what to take out of all of your classes:
- As upperclassmen can attest, most end-of-the year courses fall into one of two categories: the 300- or 400-level courses that build off the wealth of knowledge and experiences you have gathered over the past four years, or mandatory general education courses that you had neglected to take along the way. Both types have equally as much to offer your growing professional persona.
- While it can be easy to write off courses required to graduate, such as intercultural seminars, leadership developing classes and speech classes, it’s important to remember that the college offers these classes for the same reason as any: to help you grow as a person. Memorizing formulas and perfecting your syntax aren’t the only desirable skills in the competitive marketplace, so be aware that absolutely every course has something to offer in terms of constructing a more fully-realized version of your employable self.
2. Good at something? Find a club:
- College provides students with the rare chance to gather with like-minded, inspired individuals and work together on large-scale projects. Students would be hard-pressed not to find the fruit of these collective labors displayed throughout the campus: casino-themed game nights, open mic nights in the Boilerhouse basement and student-directed theatrical productions are only a few of the examples of the ways clubs and organizations flaunt their talents for the enjoyment of the campus.
- No matter what your chosen field of study or main allocation of free-time may be, you can be certain that there’s an organization on campus that would be grateful to have you. Better yet, these clubs also allow you to flex your creative or organizational muscles in the same way that classes expand your knowledge base. There are few situations that can be more conductive to personal growth than working as a team to accomplish a goal.
3. Treat everything as a resume builder:
- When the day comes that you’re perched anxiously in front of a prospective boss, your GPA won’t be the center of attention. Companies are looking for people who have a wealth of experience under their belt in addition to the formal education offered at most colleges.
- As such, it is the responsibility of impending graduates to seek out these experiences wherever they may be, whether it’s through independent-research studies, campus club events, or even small-scale projects done with a few friends down the hall.
- If you would be proud to say that you took part in these experiences and recognize how they can impact your personal growth, then don’t hesitate to get involved. Remember: experience trumps credits in the adult world.
