Humble Beginnings at University — A Real Skills Perspective
No matter how far along you are through university, we’re here to impart our collective experiences to you, to ensure that your time at university is one which is enriching, fun and exciting.
By Ricky Chen
University can seem like a daunting journey for many tertiary students and we understand you need all the support you can get to develop into your best potential. Being a student led-organization, we are sharing this journey beside all of you! We can relate to many of the successes and blunders that we inevitably encounter along the way. Luckily, you won’t have to make the same mistakes we made! We’ll be sharing our personal tips and tricks to help you make the most of your experiences and persist into your graduate years with no regrets!
An Academic Misconception
At face value, academics and grades would probably sit close to the top of many student’s priority lists. However, having a truly enriching university experience goes beyond a sole focus on academics. While having excellent grades would be respectable in anyone’s eyes, make sure to share your attention across the many other opportunities available to you at University.
This is especially important in the current landscape of graduate employment because it’s those who have built a well-rounded portfolio of achievements outside of their academics who’re able to truly impress recruiters. Rarely will recruiters, or people in general dig into the grades that you’ve achieved. Instead, they’re far more interested in your character. Your character can be attributed to your contributions to the community, your involvement among peer groups, your passions and commitment to any projects you’ve worked on.
The main takeaway here is to be conscious that academics are just one small part of your story. Remember that your involvements outside of your academics will contribute more to your unique character development and will empower your voice to resonate deeper with recruiters during the hiring process.
Community and Curricular Proactivity
Campus life is one which is truly vibrant, diverse and inclusive. With such a colourful variety of student clubs, sports, volunteering, and professional development opportunities, there’s bound to be something which aligns with your particular pallet of interests and hobbies. University affords an abundance of amazing peers and communities who you can share your experiences with. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and engage different groups, they’re more than willing to welcome you with open arms!
Take some time to reflect on your own passions and seek out communities around campus which mix well with your personal interests. These are activities which will help make your university experience so much more fulfilling and pay off greatly in the long run!
It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint
Things you do now will reflect especially well on your personal brand in the eyes of your peers and company recruiters alike! Proactivity and persistence are key here. Make your best efforts to bring your enthusiasm, explore different things, embrace new relationships and becoming a proactive member of a community. Once you graduate and enter the workforce, this purpose-driven mindset will ultimately open new doors for you to develop a fulfilling career and thrive for many years to come!
Hope you all found these tips helpful! This is our first article in our new LinkedIn article series dedicated towards our incredible student and professional community. Stay tuned for more informative thought pieces throughout the year!
We’d also love to hear your thoughts and feel free to suggest any ideas that you’d like us to cover next!
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