After the first week of school, as students we become overwhelmed with homework, exams, and school activities. We tend to forget about our future plans (summer internship, winter break activities, applications, networking opportunities, etc.). All of us, whether a freshmen, sophomore, junior, or senior experience the feeling that we have too much to do, but don’t possibly have enough time to do everything. We find ourselves debating between writing the cover letter for our dream internship or studying for the exam we have in a couple of days. It may seem like we only have one choice, however with these tips we can do both!
1. Create a daily plan
First make a to-do list with your class assignments and times/location of events to attend. It’s important to have a big monthly calendar to visually see upcoming events, so you are more likely to remember deadlines in advance. Make sure to not only include school assignments but also application deadlines, info-session tables, career fairs, networking events, luncheons, conferences, etc…
It’s important to go to events where you will be able to network with people in the field of your interest, even if it doesn’t land you an internship or a job immediately. Keep in touch and reach out if you find a job or internship at their organization that interests you. The people you meet just might be the ones to connect you to the recruiter or hiring manager for a great internship or job later on.
2. Prioritize
Remember that your goal is to complete the to-do list you made! When making your daily plan, your can list you activities from the most important to the least important. It’s also helpful to check assignments off as you finish; seeing those check marks will keep you motivated to keep going !
3. Budget your time
How much time do you spend doing each assignment/activity? Schedule time to do your work before adding any additional commitments to you schedule. If you don’t think you can apply for something because you schedule looks too busy, simply break it down to bite-sized pieces. Work on an application for 30 minutes a day, bring a first draft into the career planning office for drop-ins another day, fix the errors, and then submit it when you’re ready.
4. Positive Thoughts
Stay calm and collected and know that everything will be okay. Try not to get overwhelmed and slowly take your time finishing your work. Remember, you have a bright future ahead of you! If you need advice on your next step in life come to the career Planning Center.
