Want to learn outside the classroom?
Find out more about the College of Engineering programs for students at Texas A&M University!
At a huge university like Texas A&M University, it’s easy to feel lost. It can be overwhelming to have so much thrown at you, and this isn’t a feeling limited to freshmen – especially when your engineering classes feel suffocating. Here are some things I wish I took to heart earlier in my college career to navigate the chaos, with the hindsight that my on-campus experience was cut short because of the pandemic:
1. Find a community
It’s important to get involved with student organizations and not just for the resume points. Looking back, some of my best memories from college were from the organizations I was involved in. My advice would be to join one professional organization and one for service or fun. If a particular group can fill more than one of those roles, that’s even better. You have no shortage of choices, so try a few and see which ones suit you the best. Once you find what you’re looking for, commit to it and actively participate. Soon you’ll feel a part of something bigger than yourself.
Don’t let your four (or five) years at Texas A&M pass by without soaking up every bit of it.— Elaine Schneider
2. Apply for every opportunity you can
Chances are, you’re being blasted with emails every day about internships, co-ops, research, study abroad and more. If there’s even a chance you think an experience may benefit you, apply for it. I know what you’re thinking: “I don’t have time”, “I can’t afford it”, “I won’t get accepted”, “I don’t want to push back graduation.” Believe me, I had those thoughts too, and I passed up countless opportunities. Try not to let possible problems worry you until they become reality. You never know if you’ll get the chance you’ve been waiting for unless you try. Who knows? You may have a great experience that will change your life.
3. Don’t forget to make friends
After two years of social distancing and increased isolation, it’s safe to say that for a lot of us, social skills have been on the backburner for a long time. If you feel rusty, go out and socialize as much as you can. Your social life isn’t over after college but being around thousands of people your age is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you should take advantage of. Keep in mind that making acquaintances is easy. Finding friends that will still talk to you after you graduate is harder. The more people you connect with, the greater your chances of finding the ones who will stick around.
No one can do everything, and I’m not suggesting that you can. But I want to emphasize that once you graduate, even though you’re the same person as before you received your diploma, all of these opportunities vanish in an instant. They’re tied to the word “student”. There is so much to look forward to about life after school, but once school is over, it’s over, which is hard to fathom when you’ve been a student for most of your life. Don’t let your four (or five) years at Texas A&M pass by without soaking up every bit of it.
If you found this blog post interesting, you may consider reading “Pick your path – a note to future engineering students” and “The misconception of college detours.”