"It's a great way to meet new people!" is the refrain many students will hear from RA's during their time on campus. This sentiment intends to coerce students, particularly freshmen, into attending their events. And, for the most part, students should! At the very least, there is usually free food. When it comes to "meeting people," students can and should be a bit more intentional in their endeavors. This article shares some people students should engage with (and where to find them) when looking to maximize their college experience and prepare for post-graduation.
Friends
New friends can be found literally everywhere...except in a student's dorm room. Students who have difficulty making friends on campus often do not go anywhere or do anything outside of class. Students should make an effort to go out in the wild. There is no one activity or event that students can do to find friends. Students will find other students who share mutual interests by finding activities that students enjoy. But many students, shy or feeling "too cool," fail to go out and do anything. It does not matter what they do, but to begin building a social group, students need to do something.
Faculty
Students often inevitably run into faculty by simply taking their courses. However, especially if the class is quite large, it is possible that a professor might go through an entire semester and still be unable to remember the students' names. Thus, students must go through the effort to make an impression if they feel a particular faculty member could be essential to their experience.
There are better and worse ways to go about this. Some will be very straightforward, like openly engaging a faculty member about their research. While there is a time and place for schmoozing, it is tough to sustain throughout a college career. Instead, students should try to become a familiar presence in the department. Go to department events. Attend guest lectures relative to the field. These events might sound boring or cheesy and, unfortunately, may end up being boring or cheesy.
The value of simply being around and recognizable is immense, however. Not only will students develop better relationships with a particular faculty member, but they will likely develop recognition with multiple faculty members in the department. Going to those events has professional development potential, and many of them will help fill out a CV or resume when appropriate.
Potential Employers
Universities differ in their relationships and infrastructure when connecting their current students with potential employers, but there are some general similarities across institutions. Finding employers also begins in the same place as finding faculty — in the department.
Being a regular in the department office will make finding those job or intern opportunities much more intuitive. Faculty members often have connections or valuable experience in the field, making those relationships even more important. Outside of the department, many universities have offices specifically for aiding students in those next steps after graduation. Even if the office does not have direct job connections, the faculty will still be an invaluable resource in designing resumes and preparing for interviews. Many universities also host job fairs where local employers recruit students. These opportunities are great first steps. Students should attend with an up-to-date resume and dress formally to give a professional impression.
Navigating Networking
Making connections on campus is an art, not a science. Building new relationships can elevate a campus experience and requires intentionality. Professionally, people may refer to such experiences as "networking." I have often found phrasing a bit cold for a college campus. Individuals who perceive their relationship building as transactional typically often find themselves disappointed.
Instead, students should approach new social situations as an authentic version of themselves. Take a genuine interest in the people you meet without expecting to get anything out of it. Imposter syndrome is real too. Many students overcompensate for their own socially constructed poor perception of themselves. In reality, anyone worth knowing—whether on a college campus or elsewhere—will know that someone's achievements are only a part of who they are.
Many of the faculty members I am still in touch with share interests outside my political science discipline. We clicked because of our mutual appreciation of the power of education and shared principles. "Important" people become much less important if compromising core beliefs and ethics is a necessary step to engage with them. To conclude, students should be intentional about meeting professors and others on campus, but they should also be themselves.
