“Lost time,” “Nothing is taught,” and “No one needs this diploma” – these are how students and graduates today most often describe university. The quality of education indeed leaves a lot to be desired, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t get any benefit from your studies.
Go to international conferences/exchange programs
Students have many opportunities to travel around the world on favorable terms while gaining additional knowledge, international experience, and exposure to foreigners and different cultures. You could go for an exchange to a foreign university or take part in international programs on different topics such as media literacy, fighting stereotypes, ecology, or conflict resolution.
Where can you find such opportunities?
Start by asking what opportunities a university offers.
Here is a story from our followers. A girl tells about extra learning and how it is important for every student.
“I was a journalism student. And I was keen on writing about everything. However, I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do. Should I write articles or create advertising slogans? I didn’t have enough experience in articles for popular fashion magazines, but I knew that I could earn money in such a way. In the end, a job as a paper writer came to my mind, and I decided to master the craft of academic writing. We didn’t learn that in classes, so I looked for courses (online education wasn’t popular yet back then) and devoted three months to extra training (and extra homework).
“What you got from that courses” you’d ask me. I became a pro-paper writer. From the very beginning, I just helped my friends from college with their essays and research papers. After a year, I joined the essay writing company and earned real money. So what about now? I’m still helping with the “write my paper” request but with a better essay-writing company. It may sound very arrogant. However, the list of assignments we deal with is huge. You can order not only essays and research papers but dissertations, case studies, and even lab reports. I’m so happy to work in a circle of like-minded people who do everything to become the best essay writing service and advance it to the top. So the idea of my story is that you should do what you really want. And don’t be shy to do at least something to fulfill of desire (in my case, it’s writing). If I didn’t come to courses at that time, I’d not got the success now.
Get to know as many people as possible
The more diverse your community, the healthier it is for your outlook. With acquaintances from different fields, you cannot just debate about contemporary art or discuss the latest news but also learn something new and find out about a cool opportunity or an open job. You’ll always know who to contact for advice and who to call for collaboration on the next project.
How do you do it?
- Go to networking events.
- Do not be afraid to get acquainted at events. And in general, attend them more often. If you dream of becoming a designer, go to a lecture, for example, “The secrets of Adobe Illustrator” – a chance to meet people at your level or find an experienced mentor.
- Suggest that the person you are interested in goes to breakfast. This format of communication is gaining popularity and is energizing for the day.
- Take part in student conferences or social organizations where you can meet people from many professions at once.
Gain experience: through internships, apprenticeships, volunteering, or your first job
Did you dream of being a journalist, but did you do an internship in the media and realize you weren’t interested in reporting the facts? It’s time to try your hand at blogging! An internship/internship/volunteer/work placement during your university years will help you find out what you like to do, what you don’t like, what conditions suit you, and what you can never stand. You’ll also get to know how different companies and the field, in general, are organized. And the more you know about yourself and the market by the time you graduate, the easier and easier it will be for you to find a job you love after you graduate (and maybe even while you’re there).
Where to find opportunities?
- Don’t hesitate to ask about internship opportunities directly from the company you like (on the Facebook page or directly from a recruiter).
- Write a post on social media saying you are looking for an internship. The effect will be enhanced if you have already gone through the first point and have a wide range of useful contacts.
- Keep an eye on topical resources.
Join a youth organization
This is a great opportunity to meet different people: activists, photographers, travelers, lawyers, and so on. Also, as a volunteer and member of such organizations, you will learn different skills such as project management, social media, writing reports, and teamwork. Most organizations also offer great opportunities to take part in international projects.
How do you choose a company?
- Attend one of the organization’s events to get a closer look at its activities and team.
- If you are interested, join their ranks and work on existing projects or develop your ideas.
Attend inventories / take courses on topics that interest you
Professional events – lectures, courses, workshops, and so on. – This is an opportunity to learn interesting cases and actual tools from active market players, whereas in the university, unfortunately, they sometimes present information that is almost 10 years old. So that the knowledge you’ve acquired doesn’t remain at the back of your mind, try to highlight interesting ideas you’ve learned about and implement them in your spare time. And don’t forget to get acquainted after the event or during coffee breaks!
Experiment and create your projects
Some of the best companies in the world were created by students in garages. You may not aspire to world domination, but it is still worth trying to implement your idea, especially as long as you have free time and few commitments. It could be anything from university media or environmental campaigns. Start small, ask experts for advice, and involve friends, and it will all work out. Otherwise, you will gain invaluable experience. In addition, your projects look very attractive on your CV and say a lot about your activity.
How do you organize your project?
- Join a youth organization and try to do a project within it. This will make it easier to find the necessary resources, knowledge, and skills.
- Team up with friends and develop a project together. Also, you can use the best writing services, which can help you with the editing of your papers, or writing of them, if you need, of course.
- Try to involve an expert you know as a mentor.
- Don’t try to earn much at once. At least try to create a working model.
Enjoy your student years
This point is last but not least. You have different jobs ahead of you, interesting projects, and lots of responsibilities and duties. At university, you have time to prepare for this – gain some experience and skills, broaden your network and deepen your knowledge. But don’t forget that it’s also a time when you can snap away on a spontaneous trip, reread the 100 most outstanding books, and socialize with friends.
Here is one more story we’ve got from a follower about her experience of being a student.
“I realized very quickly that the expectations for my chosen profession were very much at odds with reality. I was preparing to be a manager in the field of electrical engineering, and I became an electrical engineer.
I had great friends and great teachers, and I loved learning, but I realized that the major I was getting was not going to be my profession. So I just made every effort to get a red diploma – together with my supervisor, I did research and participated in forums for young scientists. And I used my free time for my soul – I read books, talked to friends, and went in for sports. Table tennis, volleyball – if I still had enough time to learn how to play.”