Emilio Lorenzo is a Career Adviser in NSU’s Office of Career Development. Emilio understands the importance of helping students reach their career goals and works with all students, including undergraduate, graduate and professional level students, to achieve their professional goals.
Emily Tasca is a member of the career advisement team in NSU’s Office of Career Development. She works with current students and alumni at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels to ensure that each individual is supported throughout his or her career exploration and planning process.
The first year in college is like the first day of a long vacation; you feel like you have this great big adventure in front of you and all the time in the world. However, just like in any vacation, life in college moves quickly, and you want to make sure you have taken the necessary steps to ensure your success while having fun along the way.
The first few weeks of school can feel like a whirlwind of events and activities. People who just a few weeks ago were strangers are now your roommates, friends and confidants. Balancing your time and energy, as well as making sense of this new world you’ve entered, is key.
A great starting point is to explore campus resources. Find out where your classes are, where certain departments are located and all of the avenues by which you can receive support for academic, social or personal needs. Identify potential involvement opportunities to get your first year in gear. By joining the groups and clubs, you are able to connect with others in your program to start study groups, find academic support and build new friendships.
In addition to getting involved with other students, you should aim to build relationships with faculty as well. Attending office hours after class may seem tedious, but down the road, it can be a hidden treasure. Such initiatives can result in making connections with professors who can write letters of recommendation, provide networking opportunities and overall make you step out of your comfort zone. After all, college is all about growth, both as an individual and a student.
Towards the end of your first year, once you’ve settled into your new routine, you can look into taking your involvement to the next level. This can come in many different forms, including taking leadership positions within those same organizations you joined at the beginning of the year. You can also build leadership skills by applying to orientation leadership positions or serving as a residential assistant in the residence halls.
Regardless of your career path, there are key skills that are transferrable to a variety of industries. For example, just like a residential assistant must be patient and utilize strong problem-solving skills when dealing with roommate conflicts, a doctor must utilize behavioral management techniques when working with patients. This is one reason why these involvement opportunities are so key for your future.
Speaking of your career journey, in order to take full advantage of your first year, you will need to familiarize yourself with key offices and individuals who will provide guidance and be the catalyst to your overall success. Undergraduate Academic Advising is one of the first departments you should visit, and it is likely that you have already done so as a first year student. Academic advisers are one of the many knights of your round table for support in college. They provide guidance during your academic journey, as well as specialized knowledge about your curriculum.
Working as a partner with the educational process of students is the office of Undergraduate Student Success. This office provides an intentional approach in self-discovery of students’ personal and academic goals through success coaching and developmental workshops, including time management techniques.
On the journey to success, even with coaching, sometimes you run into academic obstacles. The office of Undergraduate Tutoring and Testing offers individualized tutoring in writing, mathematics and science, which can prove useful throughout your four years at NSU.
Another department in this career journey is the Career Development Office. Meeting with a career adviser can help you to explore possible career paths relevant to your major, identify and obtain hands-on experiences (shadowing, volunteering or internships), provide guidance on your professional development and assist in creating a strategic career plan.
Working in collaboration with these and other resources will shape what success looks like at the end of undergraduate path. For many students ― and their parents ― success can be defined by obtaining employment or reaching certain career goals like getting into medical school upon graduation.
There are steps you can take early on to ensure you get the most out of your first year in college. Just like the buffet line on a cruise is filled with options, your college experience has a multitude of resources to choose from that will result in your own definition of success and, hopefully, a sense of happiness.
