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Strengthening the skills you need to be successful in your professional, community, and personal life is an important part of your growth. In addition to being prepared for your profession, employers look for critical thinking, teamwork, perseverance, and ethical decision-making. Your classes, out of the classroom activities, and off campus experiences will help you develop these desirable skills.
It's natural to feel overwhelmed and anxious at times, but having a plan to help you get organized and set priorities will help ease the tension. Everyone develops their own approach to better manage time, and here are a few tips to help you: anticipate and plan, break tasks down, cross things off, and don't procrastinate. If you're able, take advantage of free activities like Destress with Dogs to add a level of commitment to self-care.
Focus on the skills that will help you to be a more efficient learner and a more impressive student, allowing you to excel in the academic side of university life.
You're going to be meeting a lot of new people at SU: students from all over the globe, faculty who might be leaders in their field, and staff who can help form your professional network. Expanding your web of support starts with having a conversation. Think about how you engage in small talk, create opportunities to follow-up with others, and craft your personal pitch if you find yourself one on one with someone you admire.
Each of your (in)actions invokes a response from those around you, which means you'll be increasingly required to own up to your impact, whatever that may be. It's also time to learn life's essential skills if you haven't had practice, like paying taxes, cooking a real meal, and going to the doctor for regular check ups. A lot of your peers are likely learning how to be an independent adult too, so you can work through it together.
Rapport is the connection that you share with another person and is often unconscious. It creates trust and is essential to cultivating skills like empathy and listening. Sharing rapport with someone is typically demonstrated by expressing complimentary body language, paraphrasing what you've heard, and the tone of your voice.
Visiting with a research assistant, attending a Learning Assistance Programs workshop, or meeting with a career advisor can help you refine the skills you need to take proper notes in class and conduct investigatory research that many college courses require.
It may not sound like a skill, but this includes things like where and how to find the information you need, pulling threads to understand supporting references, and even getting used to styles of APA, MLA, and others.
A lot of the time you spend at SU will be unstructured, unlike at school when you had a detailed daily timetable. It's important to be able to motivate yourself to make good use of your time. Start out with a clear idea of what you want to achieve in the long-run and periodically reward yourself for your hard work.
Choosing a major can feel like a big decision. The good news is that this decision can be made easier if you take the time to explore how your "personal profile" (your personality, skills, interests, and values) fits with different major choices. Additionally, looking into academic courses and career ideas can help you clarify even more. The major you choose may or may not directly impact your career decision, but the experiences you gain through extracurricular activities and internships will also help guide you in choosing your first or future professional position.
This is the time to practice, get feedback, and improve how you present yourself to potential employers. According to a recent Pew Research study, job preparation and social skills are among the most sought after qualities of applicants.
Those who are engaged at work are 4.6 times more likely to feel a sense of well-being post-graduation.
Factors in college that lead to being engaged at work and contribute to developing the real skills employers are looking for:
Source: 2016 Job Outlook Survey by the National Association of College and Employers (NACE)
