Peer Career Consultant Blogs

As important as it is to stay focused on academics, I’ve learned that the moments and lessons that stick with you most in college often happen outside the classroom. From finding your people to saying yes to new experiences, these are a few things that have made my college experience truly meaningful: 

A Thank You Goes a Long Way 
One habit that’s had a surprisingly big impact on my college experience is sending thank-you notes. I always try to send a thank-you note. I like to send one via LinkedIn after an informational interview, an email to a professor towards the end of the quarter, or even a quick text to a friend after they had me over for dinner. 

This small action, a thank you, goes a long way - it helps to show your gratitude, while also helping to establish and/or strengthen a relationship. Especially in the case of a professional I coffee chatted with, or a professor whose class I especially enjoyed, I like to name a few specific things that I learned from them. This also helps to show I was genuinely engaged and really valued what they were passionate about. 

Find Your People 
One of the best things I did during the fall quarter of my freshman year was rushing Alpha Kappa Psi, a co-ed professional business fraternity on campus. Not only did this help me professionally, as I was able to fine-tune my resume and learned how to public speak and interview confidentially, but I was also able to find my community on campus. It was especially nice to make connections with students older than me. They became both some of my best friends and most helpful mentors. Since they were only a couple of years older than me, they had just gone through whatever I was asking them about, making their advice super relevant. Whether I was wondering what a certain firm’s interview process is like, which professors I should take to best fit my learning style, or their insights on how to choose a major (a task that was really stressing me out as a freshman), their advice was endlessly helpful. 

Being a part of a chapter of 80+ people also made campus feel smaller - in a good way. After joining organizations on campus, I constantly ran into people on campus to chat with, grab Benson with, or spontaneously go on an adventure with. It was really nice to be surrounded by like-minded people who motivated me to push myself and do new things. As important as it is to be career-focused, it’s also just as important to find your people who will support you throughout college and beyond. Getting involved on campus early was one of the best things I could’ve done; it helped me be a better student, helped me navigate my internship search, and most importantly, helped me find my people. 

Say “Yes” to Everything 
Super cliche, but try to say yes to everything! Some of my favorite memories throughout college have been moments where I probably should’ve been studying, but when I spontaneously decided to take a quick study break and go do something else. One of my favorite nights was when a friend and I stumbled upon a choir event with Christmas cookies and hot chocolate in front of the mission on our way back home from the library, and decided to go check it out. Another time, some friends convinced me to pull an all-nighter, get breakfast at Denny’s at like 4 am, and then drive to Santa Cruz to watch the sunrise and do a polar plunge. We later remembered that the sun rises in the east (the sun never rose), and it was so cloudy and cold that day, but it was a highlight of my sophomore year.

Saying yes doesn’t have to be a big deal - it can be as simple as joining a club or checking out a guest lecture. Some of my closest friends started as random invitations I decided to take. Small, spontaneous choices - grabbing coffee with someone I barely knew or showing up to an event on a whim - often turned into the most memorable experiences. College is full of unexpected moments, and the more open you are, the more you get out of it. 

Lastly, Attend Midnight Breakfast 
One of my favorite SCU traditions is midnight breakfast, an event put on by ASG on the Thursday of week 10. I don’t even like breakfast foods, but it’s always so funny because everyone is usually delirious from being so stressed out about finals week, but are willing to take a break from studying to wait in a long line and then eat subpar Benson breakfast foods. The vibes are always the best, and my friends know to expect a text from me every Thursday of week 10 that says something like, “Midnight breakfast tonight, don’t forget.” It’s one of those traditions everyone should experience at least once.

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