6 things everyone should do while they're still in college

Let’s take a glimpse into what your last day of college will look like. Teary eyes bid goodbyes to friends and teachers, packed belongings lying in the hostel room, ready to be shifted to a new place. A sneak peek at your phone’s wallpaper makes you nostalgic, making the picture come alive. Amidst this nostalgia and the dilemma of leaving your campus behind, a small trigger pokes your mind: “What now?” Your college is over already and you, too busy having fun and making memories, didn’t make productive use of the time you had in your hands. Waking up finally, drenched in sweat, you realise what you just lived was a dream and that you still have a year left.

Alarming as it sounds, does it ring a bell? Does it make you want to jump off the bed and make the most of your last few days in college? If yes, we’re here to your rescue. Listed below are a few ways which can help you shape yourself while you still have time on your hands, in college.

1. Learn a practical skill

The corporate world is always in demand of an extra skill. If you have a number of them on our plate, you’ll always be the alpha of your team. Such skills can be learnt in classes that go way beyond textbooks to teach students the art of living. Acquiring skills in a domain which does not lie in line with your major subject can bring a variety of perspectives in light. Try laying your hands-on skills like writing, graphic designing, etc. Not only will these add value to your CV, they will also pay dividends in the least expected scenarios.

2. Send out emails, bold and cold

The first step of laying the foundations of formal communication is to send an email to the person you want to get in touch with. Be it your college’s distinguished alumna or an industry personnel whose work fascinates you, find their email address online and drop them an email. In the best cases, it might even land you a job. Being a college student gives an added advantage to your profile. Where most people like helping students still in college, you might get the privilege too. Don’t forget to put this in words while sending the cold email out. Pro tip: In case you share some connection with the person you’re trying to connect with, mention that too.

3. Find your confidante

While in college, you must have befriended a lot of people. Find the best five amongst them, the one you can rely on with everything. Look for the ones who share similar opinions, who can help in constructive development. If you continue being friends after you graduate, you can help each other.  

Success often comes to those who have positive people around them to give them strength and boost their confidence. And college is the best and probably the only time when you are surrounded by brilliant minds, who not only help in cumulative growth but also in giving you a better idea about the world.

4. Get hands-on work experience

College is the best time to lay your hands on different kinds of work and gaining experience in a variety of fields. Make attempts at interning in as many areas as possible. This will clear misconceptions in case you have any and give you a vivid picture of what the respective fields entail.

Adding colors to your profile, experiences in different brackets will help you explore a variety of sectors even before you hop into work life. Putting the pieces together, you’ll identify the domains in which you excel and the ones in which you don’t. It will help you figure out which career path you’d like to choose post college.

5. Go out for an adventure trip

One thing which work life definitely does not offer is the time for vacations. Unless you are a school teacher or something on similar grounds, you won’t be lucky enough to get the time out for a proper vacation, let alone a summer break. You’ll never again have the liberty to be carefree and enjoy your comfort zone. Take time out to live a new experience entirely, even if it means only for a week. Hop out of your comfort zone and discover yourself. Go out on a road trip or get an internship abroad. This the only time you’ll ever live for yourself truly.

6. Look for ‘the’ professor

Find the professor you can relate with, the one whose class you cannot afford to miss. Students always have a professor with whom they connect on a different level or whose research area matches theirs. Find your professor, the one whose values you admire and would like to adopt in life. Connecting with the professor and making him/her your guiding light can bring drastic changes in your life. They can help you shape your thoughts, giving a direction to your career. This is a privilege you have while still in college which gets a lot more difficult once you leave.

You and you alone can define what you want from life. Things get easier and the picture clearer if you start working towards shaping your future in college itself. So, before your dream becomes a reality and it gets too late to benefit from the privileges you have in college, take the first step. Make the most of your time before it runs out of your hands. Take flight and live your college life to the fullest!