I know seniors can feel my pain when I say I’m fed up with school and ready to graduate already. Between semester long group projects, 10+ page research papers, back-to-back presentations, and cumulative final exams, we are all ready to go home and enjoy our winter break. Although we’d like to forget about school and work for the next 5 weeks, that probably won’t be happening. Here are some things we all should be doing in order to make a smooth transition from college to the real world come May.
1. Make a list of your goals
I’m not talking about a NYE resolution you’ll probably forget after February. Make a list of goals you want to accomplish this upcoming year and stick to them. Make a vision board or put it in your phone, this way you will be able to track your progress throughout the year.
2. Update your resume
Make sure your resume is up to par. Don’t forget to add all those extracurricular activities you were involved in this past semester. The work force is extremely competitive, so you want to stand out.
3. Apply for a spring semester internship
Interning is a great way to get experience in your desired field and to narrow down what you actually want to do. Apply for internships during winter break, because a lot of companies schedule interviews during the first week of the semester. Who knows, you may even get lucky and land a full-time job with the company you’re interning for upon graduating.
4. Make a list of real life jobs to apply to
Start your job search early! You don’t want to be one of those people who graduate and end up moving back home, just to work a part-time job again. Make a list of the companies you would like to apply to and also attend information sessions the Career Services office has with different employers.
5. Take entrance exams
If you plan on applying to graduate school make sure you take the required entrance exam: GRE for grad school, GRE or GMAT for business school, LSAT for law school, MCAT for med school, etc.
6. Finish/start graduate school applications
If you haven’t already, finish up your grad school applications. A lot of schools have deadlines that have already passed, but if you are applying to a school with rolling admission still get them in early. It always looks better.
7. Figure out your post-graduation living situation
A lot of students wait until the last minute to figure out where they’re going to live. If you live on-campus you definitely want to start thinking about this, as you’re going to be kicked out of the dorms after graduation. If you live off-campus make sure you’re aware of when your lease is up, and if you will be renewing it.
8. Spend time with friends and family
Hang out with your friends, but don’t neglect your family. They have been your support system throughout this 4-year college journey. Don’t forget to tell them your graduation date too, so they can make their traveling arrangements ahead of time.
9. Plan your spring break
This will be your last spring break, your last excuse to do absolutely nothing but drink for an entire week, the last time you’ll be surrounded by a plethora of college students from all over the country (okay, now I’m sad). Plan out your spring break early on so that nothing can go wrong.
10. Have fun!
Most importantly, have fun! We have 6 months left, so make the most out of it. The real world is right around the corner.