Insight/Advice/Information about College from College Graduates/Working Professionals *(High School

[jesusshuttlesworth34]

I figured that while NT might be consist of a primarily younger population, there are quite a few college graduates/those with higher level degrees that could provide insight/advice on the topic.


This thread could serve as a forum for current High School/College students that have questions or are looking for guidance.


College can be a very complex stage in a young person's life and sometimes one does not have the people around them to help guide them or point them in the right direction during this pivotal stage in your life.



College is not for everyone nor is it a requirement to succeed in life. Obtaining a college education is important, but it is equally important to recognize that college is not for you or something you desire.....therefore do not waste your time/money wandering aimlessly through 3 or 4 semesters of general education classes building up debt that you cannot afford.




The end goal of college shouldn't be to simply graduate, but rather to finish with some legitimate career opportunities. No one wants to have to graduate from college with 40K in student loan debt and go work at Foot Locker........and you dont 'have to if you spend your time/energy wisely why you are enrolled your in academic institution.



Feel free to post any questions/topics.

 

[pootaing]

- My biggest advice is DON'T coast through college. Have your fun when you can but remember that your education is going to pave the rest of your life. Set your priorities and stick to them.
- GET involved. Clubs, Societies whatever it may be, sign up. These connections are only going to help you find a job later on in life.
- GET an internship. Really a no brainer here. Having an internship on your resume when you graduate gives you an advantage and makes you stick out amongst the thousands of other graduates.


The main reason i say all of this is because i did none of them. Took me 1.5 years to get my foot in the door in my field out of college. College is an opportunity and a privilege, don't sleep

FYI: Graduated in 2009, MIS major, working as a technical operations manager/project manager

 

[xbiker47]

I am a junior right now. I will be watching this thread to see what graduates have to say

 

[antidope]

- My biggest advice is DON'T coast through college. Have your fun when you can but remember that your education is going to pave the rest of your life. Set your priorities and stick to them.
- GET involved. Clubs, Societies whatever it may be, sign up. These connections are only going to help you find a job later on in life.
- GET an internship. Really a no brainer here. Having an internship on your resume when you graduate gives you an advantage and makes you stick out amongst the thousands of other graduates.


The main reason i say all of this is because i did none of them. Took me 1.5 years to get my foot in the door in my field out of college. College is an opportunity and a privilege, don't sleep

FYI: Graduated in 2009, MIS major, working as a technical operations manager/project manager

This guy hit the nail on the head with everything that he said. I would just like to further emphasize that your grades are priority number one. Nothing else is more important.

 

[jesusshuttlesworth34]

- My biggest advice is DON'T coast through college. Have your fun when you can but remember that your education is going to pave the rest of your life. Set your priorities and stick to them.
- GET involved. Clubs, Societies whatever it may be, sign up. These connections are only going to help you find a job later on in life.
- GET an internship. Really a no brainer here. Having an internship on your resume when you graduate gives you an advantage and makes you stick out amongst the thousands of other graduates.
The main reason i say all of this is because i did none of them. Took me 1.5 years to get my foot in the door in my field out of college. College is an opportunity and a privilege, don't sleep
FYI: Graduated in 2009, MIS major, working as a technical operations manager/project manager

Good post, thanks.


I agree 100%. I will treat this thread like I would be giving advice to my yonger self circa 2003.


It might have been "cool" to skip class in High School, not be affiliated with any school groups or after school programs, and flat out just not to care......College is completely different, or should be, because YOU now have choices and are not forced to go to class. You are paying for an education, an expensive one at that, each time you skip or ditch a class you are only blowing the investment you are making on your future. Get involved, go to the sporting events/concerts your school has to offer, have fun. Take advantage of career centers that assist students in finding jobs/career fields and working on their resumes.

There really is no excuse for not being adequately equipped to succeed........only the person in the mirror is accountable for not taking full advantage of the tools provided on campus.



I would definitely suggest meeting/becoming acquainted with your professors during the first week of each semester, especially once you get into your major/core classes. You might have the same professor for multiple classes and if you stand out and make yourself known to them and that you care about your grades/this class......that can only improve your chances at achieving a higher grade. It's easier to give you low marks when you are just a name on an attendance sheet or a person who skips, but if a teacher sees you trying/putting in the effort and still struggling they are more apt to assist you or your grade.

 

[jhawk826]

- My biggest advice is DON'T coast through college. Have your fun when you can but remember that your education is going to pave the rest of your life. Set your priorities and stick to them.
- GET involved. Clubs, Societies whatever it may be, sign up. These connections are only going to help you find a job later on in life.
- GET an internship. Really a no brainer here. Having an internship on your resume when you graduate gives you an advantage and makes you stick out amongst the thousands of other graduates.


The main reason i say all of this is because i did none of them. Took me 1.5 years to get my foot in the door in my field out of college. College is an opportunity and a privilege, don't sleep

FYI: Graduated in 2009, MIS major, working as a technical operations manager/project manager

This guy hit the nail on the head with everything that he said. I would just like to further emphasize that your grades are priority number one. Nothing else is more important.

Experience > Grades.

Employers want to know that the person they hire can come in and do the job from day one. Why do you think that Entry Level positions have become as difficult to get as Mid Level positions? Grades aren't the factor they used to be. You're seeing less and less that a great GPA be a requirement for an applicant. With that said, I'm not telling anyone to slack off in school, but real world experience will always be taken over someone who has great grades and no experience.

 

[jesusshuttlesworth34]

Experience > Grades.

Employers want to know that the person they hire can come in and do the job from day one. Why do you think that Entry Level positions have become as difficult to get as Mid Level positions? Grades aren't the factor they used to be. You're seeing less and less that a great GPA be a requirement for an applicant. With that said, I'm not telling anyone to slack off in school, but real world experience will always be taken over someone who has great grades and no experience.

Not necessarily true.

Some companies/agencies view experience as a hinderance under the notion that while the candidate might have 5 years of experience doing "Contract Administration" work for XYZ Company.....they have become accustomed to doing the work in a specific manner for that company and it might not be transferable to how things are done at the company that is hiring. They figure the employee might be set in their ways/resistant to change/have some bad habits and that it is cheaper/more efficient to hire someone with little/no experience and train them exactly how the work will be done at this particular place.


The Government does this with their Intern Programs. They have GS-07 positions under the intern program that one can qualify for under "Superior Academic Achievement" in which a candidate must have obtained a 2.95+ (I believe).

 

[jhawk826]

Experience > Grades.

Employers want to know that the person they hire can come in and do the job from day one. Why do you think that Entry Level positions have become as difficult to get as Mid Level positions? Grades aren't the factor they used to be. You're seeing less and less that a great GPA be a requirement for an applicant. With that said, I'm not telling anyone to slack off in school, but real world experience will always be taken over someone who has great grades and no experience.

Not necessarily true.

Some companies/agencies view experience as a hinderance under the notion that while the candidate might have 5 years of experience doing "Contract Administration" work for XYZ Company.....they have become accustomed to doing the work in a specific manner for that company and it might not be transferable to how things are done at the company that is hiring. They figure the employee might be set in their ways/resistant to change/have some bad habits and that it is cheaper/more efficient to hire someone with little/no experience and train them exactly how the work will be done at this particular place.


The Government does this with their Intern Programs. They have GS-07 positions under the intern program that one can qualify for under "Superior Academic Achievement" in which a candidate must have obtained a 2.95+ (I believe).

That doesn't relate to someone fresh out of college or someone who will be coming out of college. The experience they gain while in school will be geared toward the field they go into. If you have five years of experience in any field, you're more than likely going to be stuck doing that since that's all you know. If you have transferable skills then you could make a career shift. As far as low offers, they're going to give that to a fresh out of college grad in any instance experienced or not.

 

[djyoung08]

Work hard





Play harder

 

[jesusshuttlesworth34]

That doesn't relate to someone fresh out of college or someone who will be coming out of college. The experience they gain while in school will be geared toward the field they go into. If you have five years of experience in any field, you're more than likely going to be stuck doing that since that's all you know. If you have transferable skills then you could make a career shift. As far as low offers, they're going to give that to a fresh out of college grad in any instance experienced or not.

That was a real world example from personal experience.


A GS-07 is an entry level position for a Contract Specialist and you are going up against anyone who applies or meets the requirements. Military Veterans, Contractors, Students, etc.

 

[onlyXXVIII]

NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK.

SMH, how many times I see unqualified fools in positions they dont deserve. Sometimes its not what you know, its who you know.

 

[thadocta]

almost failing 3 outta my 4 classes.

need some guidance on how to get through college.

 

[jhawk826]

That doesn't relate to someone fresh out of college or someone who will be coming out of college. The experience they gain while in school will be geared toward the field they go into. If you have five years of experience in any field, you're more than likely going to be stuck doing that since that's all you know. If you have transferable skills then you could make a career shift. As far as low offers, they're going to give that to a fresh out of college grad in any instance experienced or not.

That was a real world example from personal experience.


A GS-07 is an entry level position for a Contract Specialist and you are going up against anyone who applies or meets the requirements. Military Veterans, Contractors, Students, etc.

I don't work in government or know anything about working government. What they seek in an employee is different than what the private sector or other fields would. A field like Communications (Film, TV, Radio, Production, PR, Journalism etc.) is heavily reliant on experience. If you graduate as a comms major with no internships under your belt, you're more than likely SOL.

 

[ill steelo]

Join student organizations related to your major AND assume a leadership position AND accomplish something in that position so that you can put all of that on your resume.

Doing that will help land interviews for internships, which leads me to:

Pursue internships. Cannot stress that enough. PURSUE INTERNSHIPS.

If you do well enough, they'll hire you full time afterwards so you can graduate & immediately go into your career,

If they don't hire you, then you have relevant experience on your resume & will have a leg up on graduates who only focused on their grades.

 

[romedadude]

NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK.
SMH, how many times I see unqualified fools in positions they dont deserve. Sometimes its not what you know, its who you know.

YEP! I haven't tasted the fruits of my undergraduate labor yet, but the internship I have now is 100% from networking. I know somebody that knows somebody and bam, internship. I'll probably step away from the Communication field and just get a job in another field to keep a steady income though.

And for anybody who's graduating in December or May that doesn't have anything lined up or isn't having success in your job search, be prepared to WAIT. That's one thing no one told me in my 4 years of school. I heard the usual "the economy is bad" and "I can't get a job," but I said that wouldn't be me. Welp, 6 months later it is.

Now I know and I'm at peace, but July and August were hell for me.

 

[thadocta]

NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK.
SMH, how many times I see unqualified fools in positions they dont deserve. Sometimes its not what you know, its who you know.

YEP! I haven't tasted the fruits of my undergraduate labor yet, but the internship I have now is 100% from networking. I know somebody that knows somebody and bam, internship. I'll probably step away from the Communication field and just get a job in another field to keep a steady income though.

And for anybody who's graduating in December or May that doesn't have anything lined up or isn't having success in your job search, be prepared to WAIT. That's one thing no one told me in my 4 years of school. I heard the usual "the economy is bad" and "I can't get a job," but I said that wouldn't be me. Welp, 6 months later it is.

Now I know and I'm at peace, but July and August were hell for me.

what did u get ur degree in?

 

[Rootin4EverybodyBlack]

Don't B.S. around. When you're studying and on your school **** go hard with it, when you're partying..go hard with it. Just know how to manage your time and have space for both. Don't waste time doing stuff that's not benefiting you scholastically or socially.

As much as you need to network, please realize that even if you're involved in all the social organizations in the world it will NOT guarantee you a job. I know plenty of people who put in long nights and hours into these social organizations and they're sitting in unemployment or working at the mall.

Pick your major carefully. I know this seems obvious, but find something that is a mix of what you like to do and what will lead to a profitable career. If you can find a major that you love and it's marketable more power to you.

Decided if you want to go to grad school by your sophomore year because you'll need to prepare for it. This also depends on your major to. I know people who're trying to figure out how they're going to get into grad school now and they're seniors :x

Plan, organize, and then plan how you're going to organize. Managing your time is key. It's something, personally, I wasn't very great at for awhile. But if you can master the art of managing your time, college will seem like a breeze.

That's all I can think of for now, good luck though.

 

[enz0ferrari]

Graduating in Spring 2013 with a business degree and 2 majors: Finance & Information Systems.

My advice:

1. Get good grades.  Its extremely difficult to find an employer that will even take a look at students with a GPA below a 3.0.  I'm stuck in this position now, and its so tough that college is almost a waste if you end up with a low gpa.

2. Don't just join student groups, but actually become involved in them and take leadership positions.  You can meet a lot of people and 'network' just by joining as many student groups as you can, but that will only get you so far.  I'd say pick one or two that you like or just start your own, and actually plan and organize meetings/events.  This will make your resume stand out from the crowd and can even help offset a lower GPA for employers.

3. NETWORK just like everyone else has said before me.  This is the main benefit of paying for school.  Don't think you can just network and loaf on your grades and becoming involved because they are somewhat interrelated.  It's MUCH easier to network when you are excelling in your classes because people will know to ask for your help if needed.  The same type of thing goes for becoming involved in a student organization. People that are interested in whatever youre organizing will naturally want to meet you and possibly help you out.  Plus you will attract more and higher quality yams.

4. Get a job/internship that's related to your major.

5. Communicate with your professors when you need help.

6. Somewhat obvious but make friends with people who took the same classes as you because professors rarely change their tests and assignments.  Also make sure you know a few people in each class.  Me and a couple friends have a system where we each take turns going to class and taking notes/recording lectures, then just share notes at the end of the week.  This way, we end up going to class once a week instead of 3.  This will only work with some classes, but this is just one benefit.  You can have people notify you of what's on the test, sign you in if youre not really there, etc.

You don't have to work that much harder if you work smarter.

 

[Majorbread]

You have to get outside of your comfort zone in order to grow

Don't sell yourself short. Even if you have a low GPA, find a way to make up for it in other facets.

You drive your career, don't let anyone else tell you differently

So many people are afraid to lead or make decisions, yet its so easy to do so. It WILL separate you from your peers, BE A LEADER

Lastly , BE PROACTIVE. in all facets, NEVER sit back and expect things to happen.

 

[mojodmonky1]

- My biggest advice is DON'T coast through college. Have your fun when you can but remember that your education is going to pave the rest of your life. Set your priorities and stick to them.
- GET involved. Clubs, Societies whatever it may be, sign up. These connections are only going to help you find a job later on in life.
- GET an internship. Really a no brainer here. Having an internship on your resume when you graduate gives you an advantage and makes you stick out amongst the thousands of other graduates.


The main reason i say all of this is because i did none of them. Took me 1.5 years to get my foot in the door in my field out of college. College is an opportunity and a privilege, don't sleep

FYI: Graduated in 2009, MIS major, working as a technical operations manager/project manager

sweet jesus this sounds like my life hahahaha but I graduated in 2003 as an MIS major and then went in a completely different direction (finance/equipment leasing)

 

[mojodmonky1]

almost failing 3 outta my 4 classes.

need some guidance on how to get through college.

this is probably bad advice and i say it somewhat tongue in cheek

1. stop doing drugs

or

2. do MORE drugs, but the right kind. i know a lot of kids these days abusin adderall cause it helps them get focused and pull all nighters. i didnt really have access to adderall when I was in college (98-03) so me and my friends went full ****** and started smokin meth. seriously. we would pull ridiculous 3 day all night/all day'ers and read entire textbooks, lecture notes, etc... etc... in 1 sitting and then go take exams and crash out afterwards.

 

[soleasian]

I think this thread should be turned into a general career advice thread.

As far as college graduates giving advice to current undergrads, it's all pretty much the same: Get good grades, get involved, network, internship, etc

I think it will be more beneficial to current college students if people from NT give insights on what job interviews were like or what their average day consists of, or what they actually do at their job. I go to a school where majority of the student population is doing a business degree. There are so many finance majors that all want to do IB and don't seem to realize there are other things outside of IB like Equity Research, Risk Management, etc.

Also, for Business majors: keep up with current events and markets and learn to use Excel. Read articles on WSJ or Bloomberg to know what's happening in the world. I guarantee you if you go into an interview with a BB you will probably be asked something about current events and giving a half assed answer is not a good look. Excel is also VERY important. You don't have to be a genius at it but excel is used a lot in the professional world and having that knowledge will only help you. I've talked to upperclassmen who had internships at places like GS, JPMorgan, Citi, etc and they all told me if you know excel well, you will stand out because there are a lot of people out there who have the grades, clubs, etc but don't really know excel.

 

[jesusshuttlesworth34]

almost failing 3 outta my 4 classes.
need some guidance on how to get through college.

Why are you failing these courses, in your opinion? Are you putting in the necessary time studying/attending class? Are you not interested in these subjects or do you just not understand them?

-Study groups are your friends
-Make yourself and your problems known to the professors (they are more apt to help and have sympathy for a student they see trying/struggling)
-Possibly lighten the number of credits you are taking if the workload is too much or find ways to better manage your time/priorities





Appreciate the participation in this thread thusfar.

 

[romedadude]

what did u get ur degree in?

Mass Communication w/ a concentration in Broadcast Media

 

[mo matik]

When you start as a freshman, you will most probably not be ready for it. I wasn't. Most of my classmates weren't.

So the best advice imo, is to assume that your freshman year will largely be a struggle to get into the college grind. You will have to find methods that work for you, and you have to be aware that the transition into a college level workload is difficult, but still manageable. It will take time so patience is a must. And keep in mind that you are not alone in this lack of preparation, so ask for help wherever you feel comfortable. Whether that be from the professor, a TA, another classmate, or a tutor.