College is tough.
The transition from a strict eight hour schedule of class after class and after-school clubs to one where you have classes spread out throughout the day, can skip said classes and can even schedule work in between is so incredibly different.
It’s nice being a student at such a large university with so many resources, but sometimes that also makes it hard to navigate. From choosing classes, to majors and minors, to internships and jobs and even what clubs to join, college is full of difficult choices, and I have learned so much through my years of experience.
Here is what I wish I knew coming into college two years ago.
- It’s OK to experiment. you don’t have to know everything from the start
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When I came to college, I thought that I wanted to go directly to law school after graduation and become an attorney. So I joined a few law-related orgs and decided that I wanted to double major in Criminology.
However, my thoughts changed with time. I participated in communications-related internships, made my way through several different communications clubs, took many different communications classes for my main major (Telecommunications & Media Industries) and spent many hours talking with my academic advisor about the future.
I recently decided that I don’t want to go to school directly after graduation. Although I may want to go to grad school or law school in the future, I want to pursue a career directly after graduation in the communications industry.
Moral of the story: college is a learning journey. You are always learning something new, so don’t trap yourself in a box.
- Don’t be afraid to try new things
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Like I mentioned before, my college experience has been marked by experimentation.
I tried many different things before falling in love with the communications industry, and I have had a similar experience with clubs.
Freshman year I was completely dedicated to Mock Trial, 46Live, Schreyer for Women and Empowering Women in Law and I later decided to join Her Campus. Sophomore year I balanced my time between Caliente, a latino dance group, Mock Trial, Empowering Women in Law and Her Campus. This year, I have focused more on internship experiences and have decided to stick solely to Her Campus.
I decided to double major in Spanish and minor in Portuguese, which has also allowed me to study abroad twice in the past year. Anyone who’s talked to me about those experiences knows that they are the best decisions that I have made since coming to college.
There are so many opportunities to get involved at Penn State.
Whether that be through internships, clubs, study abroad experiences or a mix of all three, the world is your oyster. Get out there and conquer it.
- Use your resources
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I know that everyone loves to emphasize the importance of networking and making connections, but it really does pay off.
For example, I make appointments at least once a semester. For me, that usually means going three times each semester, with my academic advisor and with Julie Miller at the Bellisario career center.
They have both helped me tremendously with choosing a successful class schedule that aligns with my academic goals, everything related to my Schreyer honors thesis, applying for and getting internships, improving my interview skills and learning more about Bellisario’s Hollywood Program.
Because of their resources and advice, I have connected and chatted with so many students in internship positions that I am applying for, learned so much information about the Hollywood Program and other Bellisario opportunities and grew my support network.
Using my resources has also meant more than just career connections. It has helped me to secure an unbelievable amount of money in scholarship and grant funding, which I have used to fund all of my study abroad experiences.
In summary, never underestimate the power of your resources, especially when we have so many of them for free as Penn State students.
I hope that you were able to learn something from my reflections and enjoy your time in college.