Making the Most of Your Undergraduate Years

Before embarking on your college career, you should ask yourself a few simple questions…

1. What do you want from your college experience?
2. What do you want from your major?
3. What do you want from your career?

Chances are, you will find your college experience more rewarding and you will be a more successful student if you give some serious thought to these questions. Knowing why you are in school helps you see see the relevance between what you are doing in school and how this will serve you later–either on the job or in graduate school. Seeing these connections motivates you to do well. If you can develop clear educational and career goals early in your college experience, this can have a number of important pay-offs. For example, you’ll have more time to identify and program into your schedule those courses that will serve you well and those volunteer and extracurricular activities that will help you develop useful skills. Also, if you’ve gotten off to a bad start grade-wise, the more terms you’ll have to earn high grades to offset the low ones.

These are all complex questions so you shouldn’t get discouraged if you can’t come up with immediate answers. It may be a case of your needing more information before you can know what you want. If so, just put the questions on the “back burner” as you review the information on this site. Hopefully, what you learn here will guide you to the answers you seek.

If you’ve familiarized yourself with the materials on this site and done some serious reflection on your educational and career goals and you’re still feeling confused, I’d suggest making an appointment for some career counseling at the Career Services Office on your campus. You might also consider making an appointment at the Counseling Center to take some occupational interest tests. Another option is to take some time off from school and get some job experience. Then, once you know why you want to go to college, you should be much more interested in your classes and motivated to do well.

Admissions Essay Tips

A good college application essay sets its author apart from thousands of other applicants. Here are some steps you can take to make your essay stand out.

STEP 1: Start early. Give yourself enough time to think about your essay and revise it as needed.
STEP 2: Write about something you’re familiar with.
STEP 3: Be yourself. The admissions team is interested in who you are – not someone you think they want you to be.
STEP 4: Be original. Though many college applications will have standardized essay questions, try to put an original, creative spin on your response. Make the essay your own.
STEP 5: Write an essay that shows how you’re unique. For example, one student who wrote about her distinctive laugh got accepted on early decision to Columbia University. Include any experiences or jobs that might set you apart from other applicants.
STEP 6: Be authentic. There’s no need to embellish your experiences. STEP 7: Use a relaxed, comfortable tone of voice but avoid being too familiar, sarcastic or comic.
STEP 8: Check to make sure your essay answers the questions asked. Avoid wandering too far from your subject matter.
STEP 9: Proofread your essay for spelling, punctuation and grammar. STEP 10: Mail your application early to avoid any postal mishaps. Tips & Warnings

Keep in mind that your audience will probably be a group of people very much like your high school teachers, but with slightly higher standards. Try not to be overly safe when writing your essay. You want to write an essay that is memorable.

Ehow.com