Collegiate Times

Drooping eyes, drooling and aimlessly turning pages without reading a single word. These are the signs of a career-impervious underclassman trying to skim through a post-college career and grad school guide. However, the information in post-college guides is often pertinent and important for college students of all grade levels.

Getting involved in activities and organizations while maintaining academic rigor can play a vital role in the outcome of post-grad hires, but with hundreds of student organizations, activities and opportunities offered at Virginia Tech, it can be a difficult and overwhelming task to decide how to get involved.

Here are some recommendations on how to approach the difficult career questions of college.

—Grades: Are they important to your career or not?

Grades play some role to employers, but you shouldn’t degrade yourself if you’re struggling with your coursework. The importance of grades varies between disciplines. For example, grades are likely more important to natural science majors that plan to attend medical or vet school than majors that place a heavier emphasis on experience.

If you find yourself struggling, don’t fret. There are many resources available to help you succeed. The Center for Academic Enrichment and Excellence, located in Femoyer Hall, can provide assistance with coursework, and the Writing Center in Shanks Hall can assist students struggling with papers. Getting assistance doesn’t have to be limited to tutoring, though. Simply talking to professors or teaching assistants after class or during their office hours can shed light on perplexing topics and resolve problems.

—Get some experience.

Regardless of your career plans or your major, there are organizations around campus relevant to your field. Joining organizations, whether it is a medical club for aspiring doctors or a media organization for communication majors, can provide indispensable experience in your field that will ultimately prepare you to enter the workforce and establish a competitive edge in today’s difficult job market.

—Travel the globe.

Believe it or not, studying abroad can be a very compelling experience to put on your resume. Not only do you get to immerse yourself in foreign cultures, but you can receive course credit for it as well. Traveling abroad can provide you with skills that employers value.

Studying abroad can help you obtain a worldview of your career, which in today’s globalized world, is not a skill to be undervalued. Study abroad programs can also provide you with a multicultural background and the opportunity to become multilingual.

You can find more information about Tech’s education abroad program at www.educationabroad.vt.edu.

—Lead your way to success.

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A version of this article appeared in the Sep 9 issue of the Collegiate Times.