College Success |
Print out this checklist when you’re ready to start prepping for graduation!
Chapter 1: Graduation Check-In
Prior to starting the academic year, you should have met with your advisor to set up your last semester schedule to keep you on track with graduation. Make sure to visit them one last time to confirm whether all your GE and major requirements will be met by the end of your last semester.
Check-in with your advisor one last time to:
⃞ Ensure all academic requirements and commitments have been met.
⃞ If you plan to pursue grad school, try setting up a one/three/five year plan to help you stay accountable with your academic goals!
Check-in with your school
⃞ Confirm that you’ve filled out all the required graduation forms correctly (make sure they print your name exactly as you want it to appear on your diploma, and register to participate in the ceremony).
⃞ Purchase all the necessary graduation materials such as…
-
- Cap & gown
- Diploma frame
- Graduation picture package
- Graduation tickets
Check-in with your family:
⃞ If your family is traveling from out of town, make sure you communicate with them to set up the right housing arrangements during graduation weekend.
⃞ If needed, book their airbnb/hotel and try putting together a light itinerary for their stay. You’ll be busy preparing for graduation so having them explore campus can be a fun distraction for those times you’re not with them during their visit.
Check-in with your landlord:
⃞ If you’re moving out after graduation, make sure you let your landlord know about your plans. Set up a move out date and discuss any next steps you need to take before moving
⃞ Get your security deposit back if no damages were made to your living space
⃞ Keep your roommates in the loop of things and plan any relevant move-out plans with them as well
Chapter 2: Saying Your Goodbyes
With graduation season comes a lot of goodbyes… Make sure you make time to thank those who helped you with this achievement!
Reach out to your professors:
⃞ Go visit office hours one last time. Thank them for making a contribution during your time in college and ask to stay connected! They can serve as a potential letter of recommendation for future opportunities.
⃞ Check-in with your current professors about any missing or make-up assignments you should turn in to ensure you end the school year with good grades.
Reach out to your mentors:
⃞ Stay connected with your mentors/managers. If you have a good relationship with them, they can offer a great letter of recommendation
⃞ If possible, drop off a thank you letter in-person for a more thoughtful gesture.
⃞ Put in your two-week notices at your current job/internship.
⃞ Check-in with your team if there are any last projects you should wrap up to prepare for a smooth transition out of your position.
Lastly, reach out to your friends and celebrate!
⃞ If you have friends who are also graduating, don’t forget to give them their flowers too. Try giving them a thoughtful gift letting them know that you’re proud of their accomplishments as well.
⃞ If you have friends that will be moving far, communicate with them about your friendship and ask how they’d want you to show up for them now that you won’t be at the same campus and vice versa.
Chapter 3: Setting your Boundaries
With your family:
Staying on track with your career goals will be time consuming. If you’re moving back home and have additional responsibilities with your family, talking to them about your schedule and capacity can help avoid burnout!
⃞ Find a time to have a conversation with your family about boundaries and how they can best support you during this new transition
With your friends:
Post-grad will be a new experience for you and your friend group. Celebrate the good moments together but maintain a welcoming space of vulnerability and support as you navigate this new chapter together.
⃞ Post-grad can get a bit lonely so stay in touch.
⃞ Share your goals and hold each other accountable. There’s so much to look forward to together.
With your-self:
With your well-earned college degree comes new independence. It’s important to hold yourself accountable and set realistic goals during these next few months
⃞ Follow a schedule that allows you to prioritize both your career goals and self care
⃞ If you dive straight into a full-time job, set at least one hour out of your day to focus on career related tasks outside of your current job.
Chapter 4: Getting excited about your career choice
Securing A Steady Source Of Income
Keeping up with this fast-paced job market:
⃞ Keep your LinkedIn up to date. LinkedIn and other similar platforms can serve as an extended resume. Attach your LinkedIn profile to your email signature to help catch a prospective employer’s eye.
⃞ If you’re using multiple online networking platforms (LinkedIn, Indeed, Handshake, etc), download the app on your phone and keep your notifications on to ensure you don’t miss the perfect job opportunity for you!
Setting A Budget For Your Goals and Lifestyle
Understand where your money comes from and where it’s going
⃞ If you took out any student loans, it’s time to start thinking about repaying those loans back… While money can be worrisome during this new chapter of your life, it doesn’t have to be! Explore your repayment plan options and keep an eye out for student loan scholarships.
⃞ Once you secure a source of income, start thinking about how much will be going into your savings account and what will be used for bills and other expenses.
Making A Bucket List And Avoiding Burnout:
Always leave some space for a little fun in your life (you deserve it):
⃞ You’re going to be working a lot to achieve those amazing career goals. But be careful to avoid burnout! Having a list of fun to-do’s can help introduce a balanced and enjoyable lifestyle.
⃞ Coming from a first-gen and low-income family often comes with guilt. Remind yourself that you’re allowed to enjoy things. It’s ok to invest in things that make you happy. Your budget should always allow some space for this.
College Success |
Commuter students are an incredibly diverse group of students. They consist of full-time students living at home, part-time students who live off campus in apartments, or even parents who commute for night classes. Commuter students often have to use various modes of transportation in order to get to school, which includes their own car, bus, or even Uber. A commuter student might have to make sacrifices in order to attend school, which makes it important for colleges to have flexibility for their students. Despite this, there are several benefits for commuter students, as well as disadvantages.
Benefits
- Saving on tuition – Commuter students tend to live at home with their parents or even in apartments in the city. This is usually much cheaper than paying for housing on campus, with funds going up to even $40,000 a school year.
- More control in schedule – Being a commuter student allows more flexibility in your schedule, you are able to have a job and set your own times for your activities and school work.
- Ensured privacy – Privacy goes out the door once you get a roommate in college. You see each other’s way of living and some boundaries will eventually be broken. Living at home or somewhere else as a commuter student allows you to be fully comfortable in your surroundings.
- Comfort and stability – College can be a big step for many students and a big step that not everyone is ready to take. If you still live with your parents you can still have access to comfort and stability central home can provide. This can grant you the confidence in your school life knowing you have a sense of stability at home.
Disadvantages
- Traffic – Accessible transportation is often a huge challenge for commuter students, and traffic in transportation is a problem. The lack of routes can often lead to huge traffic when getting to and from school.
- More effort in making connections/friendships/social life – When you live on campus, you automatically get opportunities to make friends and meet new people. Whether it’s your roommates or the people across the hall, you eventually get to know everyone. However, once you’re commuting, you have to put in more effort to make friends. Folks involved in organizations and clubs usually live on campus, so the lack of a social life is a challenge for commuter students.
- Effect on academic performance – the stress and time it takes to commute can take a toll on a student. Often, a commuter student will start to skip class because of the lack of accessible transportation or because they don’t think it’s worth it. This eventually leads to a negative impact on their academic performance.
- Can sometimes be exhausting – Commuting can sometimes be exhausting. Depending on the time of your commute, traffic of your commute, or your mode of transportation. Commuting can take from 30 minutes to 3 hours for some students. Waking up early to get to school and leaving school really late in the day can really put a tax on your mental/ physical state and add excess stress to your school life.
While being a commuter student can make higher education cheaper and more flexible, a prominent barrier that many commuters face is accessible transportation. Convenient and reliable transportation helps commuter students remain in control of their academics without having to worry about getting to class on time. Whether it be public transportation costs or parking permit rates, colleges should acknowledge the barriers commuter students face compared to their on-campus living counterparts. Removing transportation barriers builds a more inclusive and supportive environment for all students regardless of their circumstances. If university officials do not prioritize basic needs such as accessible transportation for their students, it may be up to the public and students alike to advocate for themselves until their needs are met.
The topic of advocacy may be overwhelming for some. However, there are many opportunities available, some unique to each university and some more applicable to the public, that can help individuals begin to advocate for accessible transportation in their own communities.
- Get involved in commuter support clubs on campus – Joining clubs/organizations tailored towards commuters can help students meet new people with similar situations and expose more opportunities for advocacy directly within their university.
- Utilizing public transportation in your city – By using public transportation more often, individuals can help build a support system for the local public transportation programs and this may lead leaders to recognize the public transport demand and improve the current state of public transportation.
- Expressing support for advancing public transportation – Participating in public transportation campaigns and signing petitions concerning the progression in the accessibility and quality of public transportation systems can be an effective way to promote increases in funding and attention towards this objective.
Commuter student resources:
American Public Transportation Association: LINK
College Success |
Throughout our whole education journey, we constantly hear about scholarships and how
wonderful it is to be awarded one, but we almost never see how to really apply for one.
Depending on the sort of scholarship you are seeking for, the application might be extremely
complex or quite simple. There are many different scholarships available, and the greatest thing
about them is that anybody may apply for one. Some scholarships are only available to members
of particular groups, while others are available to all applicants. Everyone is able to receive one
no matter what, if you put in the work and work hard you will be able to receive one. Let’s go
through a few ways you can look for a scholarship!
1. Research the Types of Scholarships:
● Be knowledgeable about the scholarships you’ll apply to. Do research
if you need to!
● Apply to scholarships that connect with you
– Such as those that speak to your interests, background, and
desires.
● Look into scholarships that list your unique traits to help you stand out
from other candidates.
2. Complete All Requirements/Criterias:
● Make sure to read all of the scholarship details.
● Read carefully (don’t miss deadlines or requirements).
● It is essential to complete every part.
3. Exceed:
● If possible, turn in ahead of time, to prevent missing deadlines.
● Go above and beyond in your responses.
● Apply to as many scholarships as possible, don’t rely on just one!
● List unique traits about yourself! Don’t be afraid to be your own
supporter!!
4. Have Documents at Hand & Ready to Use:
● Letters of Recommendation
● Resume (updated and polished!)
● Get advice on your writing piece
– Have a few people revise your work.
5. Check in On the Scholarships:
● Follow up with any requirements that may be needed or missing.
● Check your emails regularly.
● Get in contact if necessary.
Last Note:
Make sure you’re authentic to yourself and just apply, you don’t lose anything!
College Success |
Building a relationship with your professors has many benefits for your academic and career success. Connecting with your professors will allow you to have a strong academic connection for the future, you will be able to ask them for letters of recommendation, and you will be having a better workflow. Since they will be able to see the effort you are putting into the class as well as they can help you with future assignments.
Start by introducing yourself on the first day of the course. Introduce yourself, what you are majoring in, and the year you are being attentive at the college or university that you are in. Lastly, show how much you are appreciative of being in their course and that you would hope to learn more from it. Another option would be to send them an email introducing yourself such as your major and how that class is related to your major, why you are interested in that class, or anything you would like to bring up. It should not be a stressed component but rather have fun and play around with the email and how you would want to present yourself. It is really important to connect with your professors, especially if you may be virtually learning with them online. If you are an online learner, you would need to meet these same adjustments.
Weekly office hours
The place where you are able to strongly connect with your professor is through office hours. During the first-week professors will send out their syllabus where office hours will be located and at the time they are available as well as the time that the teacher assistants are available. It is suggested and highly encouraged to attend them because it allows you to ask questions in a small group and discuss class materials which can help with future class material. Professors will also take that into account since it is very common for students to not attend office hours. Although this is extra time and students can see it as wasteful and choose not to attend it has many positive benefits. Most students are afraid to attend office hours, only because they are mostly afraid to ask for help. Most students feel that they don’t need office hours so they encourage themselves not to go. Attending office hours regularly even if you do not need to attend them. Attending office hours can make you more efficient in your future assignments, and also can prepare you for your quizzes and exams.
There may be times when to meet with your professor during office hours on their syllabus. Email your professor on the days, and times when you can come into their office hours to check-in. Professors can tend to be busy, you can also email your course TA for further information on the times that you can meet with your TA or your professor. They are both there to help you academically for the course. Email the professors a couple of days earlier before the due date of the assignment.
Tips for Networking with your Professors
– Work with your schedule to set aside a time to meet with your professors. – Research more about your professor through the University Website so you get an idea of the professor’s specialized field.
– Remember that professors are there to work with you and help you.
– It’s always helpful to write down questions to ask your professors before attending office hours, so you can have more of a clarification of being in the course of what you are learning in that particular assignment.
– Professors are connected with the school and will send opportunities that they are open to sharing.
References:
: Www.bu.edu. (n.d.). Retrieved March 8, 2023, from
https://www.bu.edu/com/files/2021/11/WC_emails_to_profs_and_TAs.pdf
College Success |
Students who attend public colleges and universities are protected against disability discrimination by Title II under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Many campuses are equipped with offices and services for college students with disabilities. The goal of these offices and services is to address accessibility, accommodation, and assistive technology for a diverse range of needs.
To begin receiving accommodations you must first register as a student with disabilities, this is done with the disabilities service office in your school. Disabilities offices have instructions for how to register for services on their website. Remember the name of the office does not necessarily need to have the word “disability” in its name, you can also look for words such as access, equity, or accommodations. You also need to provide evidence of a disability to get accommodations but remember that disclosing your disability to your school is completely optional.
Examples of disabilities are, but are not limited to:
- Neurological conditions
- Sense organ impairments
- Musculoskeletal impairments
- Emotional or mental illness
- Respiratory conditions
- Digestive ailments
- Learning disabilities
- Organic brain syndrome
However, you will need to disclose this information if you wish to receive academic adjustments. All colleges receiving federal funding must ensure equal access to students with disabilities, meaning they have to provide “reasonable” accommodations.
Here are some typical academic adjustments institutions provide:
- Sound amplification aids
- Speech to text software
- Accessible testing locations
- Note-taking services
- Priority class registration
- Sign language interpretation
- Course substitutions
Sources:
https://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/students-with-disabilities/
https://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/college-planning-with-learning-disabilities/
https://www.understood.org/articles/en/7-things-to-know-about-college-disability-services
