Not that I would know much about this since I’m just beginning senior year myself, but many of you are starting your last semester or last year of college! I thought it’d be a great idea to share some tips on how to prep for the real world during your senior year! It’s something many of us don’t want to think about yet, but let’s face it–the time is coming and it’s coming fast! Better to be prepared than not at all. Here are a few things to do your senior year that will help prepare you for life after college.
1. Limit Your Amount of Stress
Since this is your last year of college there is a lot less room to mess up. You’d hate to be one of the people who get to walk across the stage at graduation, but still have to take another class or two during the summer because you failed it or received an incomplete. Also, being involved on campus and different organizations is great, but if you find that you’re having a hard time finding time for everything you’re involved in, you may want to consider letting some organizations go, or if you hold an executive position, you may want to consider stepping down to a general member or something that requires less time.
2. Continuing Your Education
If graduate school is a part of the plan for you, this is your time to start researching to see where you want to attend and start applying! Graduate school is much more expensive, so it’s a good idea to look into assistantships to pay some or even all of your tuition. Also, check to see if your program requires any entry tests such as the GRE, MCAT or LSAT. It’s good to start applying for your graduate school of choice at least six months prior to the beginning of the upcoming semester.
3. Searching For Jobs
This is probably the scariest and most nerve-wrecking part, but you don’t want to stress about where you’re going to be working when you graduate. It’s best to start looking for a job the semester before you plan on graduating. If you are graduating in May, it’s good to start applying to jobs in either November or December—somewhere around that time frame. If you are graduating this December, you may want to start applying; or if you haven’t, it’s a great idea to start now. It’s a great feeling to already have a set plan when you graduate so you won’t have to stress about finding a job after graduation.
4. Save Up $$$
It can be very hard to save money since there is so much to pay for your senior year such as your graduation application, cap/gown, and invitations/announcements. But trust me, the earlier you start saving up, the less you’ll have to worry about money when the time comes to graduate. You never know where your job will be located once you accept it. That means it’s likely that Mom and Dad or another family member won’t live near you. You may accept a job where you know no one at all. This means that yes, you may have to live on your own straight out of college. For many of us, this is the greatest thing ever! But for others, it may stress you out thinking about the financial aspect of living alone. Saving up money beforehand will make you feel a little more comfortable knowing that you’re not starting off with absolutely nothing; plus, it’s also handy to have when it comes to paying back your student loans.
HCXO!