Other Schools

Higher Education Institutions tend to develop in clusters. It's probable that there are a few other colleges or universities close by where you are attending. Students on Planet College often become somewhat insular about their particular school. This may be particularly true where community colleges are concerned. At times students at four year institutions my avoid association with their community college neighbors due to let's say "issues". These attitudes can be unnecessarily restricting.

Community colleges currently enroll the largest percentage of college students in the USA. These schools are often well equipped and staffed. As a resource for the "community" that is the area generally around where they are located they function very effectively. Unless you are a student there you may not know that these schools have professionally staffed libraries, well maintained facilities and knowledgeable instructors in every area. They are also, relatively speaking, less costly than traditional four year universities and colleges.

What this can mean for you is another resource for your needs, interests and abilities. Is your library crowded, probably yes. The local community college may be able to help. Are the work out facilities on your campus aging, under-staffed or closed for remodeling? A nearby school may have what you need for now. More practically local schools also have job offices or career centers. These schools often are more responsive to the needs of local employers. This means for you that while your schools job center emphasis may be necessarily on career another local school may be more immediately helpful finding you work.

Finally, it is common for neighboring schools to have courtesy agreements with other schools. This means that your ASB card may be all you need to take advantage of the other school's facilities. Check it out.

The Job Fair.

You're slouching through the student center tastefully slobbed out in the same jeans and hoodie you've been wearing for the last three years. There, before your eyes, are rows of folding tables with company literature carefully displayed and the dressed-for-success company representatives on the cheap folding chairs that go with the tables. There, also before your eyes, are students at least some what neatly dressed, distributing carefully composed resumes and conversing earnestly. Whoa. The Job Fair. On your campus is it coming or has it gone? Or do you know? Campus job fairs are another staple on Planet College as the term grinds on. They are usually arranged by The ASU or sometimes Student Services to facilitate students getting to the point of their education. Work. Full time work.

If you like thousands of others, OK, hundreds of thousands of others on Planet College have, up until now, taken a totally casual approach to your future back on Earth it is quite possibly time to kick your career planning up a notch.

Here's a few ideas. First, if you do happen to accidentally wander through The Job Fair go ahead. Stop and talk to a few of the company representatives. Pick up business cards and send them an e-mail, "Thanks, I enjoyed talking with you."

Also, look around for a campus organization which even generally relates to careers you may be interested in. Some of these groups may be volunteer. Some of them may even have their own Career Fair or what ever they want to call their job deal. Even if you are not a member of their respective society you are probably still welcome to attend the fair. These experiences are basically informational right now but they can be inspirational in the sense that you may come across a field in which you are actually interested.

Also these events function as that time honored approach to job getting, networking. The more people you know the more likely you are to get work.

How's it goin'? No really.

At this point in a typical term on Planet College things have usually distilled down to a daily grind. Amidst this daily grind mid-terms, tests, projects, presentations have come and probably gone. Mid-term is a good time to pause and review your progress. So. How's it goin'? Ok? No, really, this time "How's it goin'", doesn't call for they typical, "OK, Same ol' same ol' " response of a glancing social interchange. Mid-Terms and actually the resultant grades can be a useful measurement of how the now day-to-day grind really is going. Or what your efforts are actually producing.

This simple procedure can provide a beacon in the daily fog that Planet College often produces. Ask your self which has been your most difficult class. Are you doing better than you excepted in some class you were dreading? Are you doing worse? Right now the results of you effort are available. They are the grade on you mid-terms. What grades have you actually received? A? F? Incomplete? C? If you have a class or classes which are proving more challenging it is time to get some help. There still can be tutors available at the tutoring center. Make use of them, they are probably free.

And one other thing. Talk to your instructor. If you haven't spoken with her before you may have to introduce your self. Tell her which course and which of her sections you are enrolled in. Track her down somewhere, before class, after class, her office if she has one. Find her and tell her, " I want to do as well as I can in your class. And I'm finding the class more difficult than I thought." She may have some suggestions. She may not. The important thing is you have made contact and she can see you are at least interested. If she does have a few pointers take care to look like you are listening while she's speaking. This simple step, making contact with the instructor, can be really helpful around final grade time. You now have some guidelines for the rest of the term. Be sure and follow through as best as you can on these tips. Also, as noted, the instructor has seen that you are really interested in passing her course. This too can work in your favor.

Remember you want to graduate someday and until then you are entitled to all the help you can get. A lot of that help you can provide for yourself.