Artboard 3

Become a Member

Take the Free Passion & Purpose Challenge!

GET INVOLVED!

Join the Mastermind

STOP Saying These Phrases if Your Want to Grow Your Business

Watching Your Competition Won't Help You Grow

My Morning Routine for a Successful Workday

10 Business Tools to Transform your Productivity

podcast episodes

MOST downloaded

CHECK OUT OUR PODCAST!

I'm Kelly - the founder of She Is Fierce! and your host on our blog featuring stories and wisdom from fierce women all over the world! 

Fierce Living

A Do This, Not That Guide for College Women

< back to blog home

 

A Do This, Not That Guide for College Women

 

On August 4th, Madame Tussauds unveiled the world’s first Nicki Minaj wax figure at their Las Vegas location. This was a really big deal because never before had a female rapper been honored via a wax statue.

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the wax museum’s brilliant idea to create an oversexualized statue to honor Minaj’s remarkable accomplishments in the music industry backfired.

Due to the vulgar reaction the statue provoked, Madame Tussauds had to ramp up security around the statue until inevitably removing it altogether, tweeting this statement.

Although several people, including fellow female rapper Azealia Banks, predicted the statue would elicit negative responses, the museum thought otherwise. Madame Tussauds, surely with only the best intentions at heart, decided to sculpt a statue of Minaj on all fours to honor her. And now, only weeks later, they have been forced due to public response to remove the wax figure and create one anew.

This got me thinking, how often do we proceed to do things that seem like a great idea at the time, but aren’t? And how often do we make these mistakes during our college years, easily the most important period in our lives in terms of our future’s success?

Don’t make the same mistake Madame Tussauds made.

 

Avoid doing things in college that seem like a great idea at the time, but aren’t.

 

1. Don’t be the cool girl in class. Instead, join the discussion.

 

In class, students often avoid offering insights. God forbid we raise a hand and prolong a lecture, especially when the hope that the professor finishing two minutes early is alive and well. Seriously though, how often does that actually happen? Almost never.

Don’t waste an opportunity to build a relationship with your professor because you don’t want to annoy a classmate by talking. Pay attention to the lecture and join the conversation. If the professor asks a question, raise your hand. Say something intelligent.

It may seem like a good idea to stay quiet in class, focus on the lecture, take notes, and bounce the second the class ends. But it’s not. You’ll never get noticed by your professor this way. You certainly won’t impress her this way either. If you don’t impress your professor, you’ll never get a reference letter from her. Come job-search time, you’ll wish you had built that relationship.

 

2. Don’t get all-consumed by campus life. Instead, attend workshops and career fairs.

 

Do you even know where the career center on campus is located? Seriously. Do you?

In college, it seems like a good idea at the time to just focus on your GPA and campus life. It’s not. Yes, a GPA is really important. So is participating in campus activities and organizations. College could be pretty lonely otherwise. But the whole purpose of college is to prepare for your future. So during college, actually consider and plan for your future.

Instead of being the last one standing at the party, walk-of-shaming it back to your dorm, and showing up to class half-awake still in your PJs, leave the party at a reasonable hour and attend a resume-workshop at the career center after class.

Campus career centers offer a plethora of career resources, all of which are completely free to current students. You’ll benefit greatly by taking advantage of these resources on a regular basis.

 

3. Don’t backpack in Europe during summer break. Instead, get an internship.

 

College can be brutal. To make the most out of college—good grades, building relationships, participating in campus organizations, socializing, studying, writing papers—we forgo sleep. If you’re spending ages working on essays or college, research, you should consider buying a college research paper to help you out.

So it seems like a really (REALLY) great idea to relax during summer break. What better way to recharge for the upcoming semester than to unwind on vacation or even on mom and dad’s couch the whole summer?

If you waste away relaxing during your summer breaks, you’re missing a huge opportunity to jump-start your career. Instead of working on your tan at the beach during summer break, work on your resume instead.

Get a college internship every single summer while in college. The job market is super competitive right now. Employers expect a degree paired with an impressive resume. If you spend your days relaxing on your mom’s sofa during your college summers, you’ll probably return to that sofa after graduation. Though, it won’t be nearly as relaxing if you have a degree and no job.

 

 

 


Cari Stark, She is Fierce! Contributor

Cari Stark

Cari Stark is a recent college graduate and the Marketing Manager for College Works Painting, a college internship that equips students with the necessary skills and experience to land their dream job when they graduate. Land an internship in less than 30 days with this free step-by-step guide.

Connect with Cari… Twitter

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.