How to make the most of college as a transfer student?

College Confidential Community
1

I’m a transfer student from a cc and have 2 years at my new school. I think I can add a minor and do study abroad if I take 4 classes next summer and don’t drop any classes. But I am not sure if I will have time to do honors, internships, etc.

Any thoughts? Have you been in a similar situation?

Thank you in advance :slight_smile:

2

I’ve had some friends in a similar situation and heard them discuss similar issues. From your thread title “Make the most of college” I think you should just prioritize what you want to do and need to do.

  1. Minor: What minor would you like to add to your degree? Will it supplement your major when you look for a job or is it unrelated? Is the minor area of study something of interest or aimed at helping you get a job after you graduate?

There are so many free study resources and activity/social clubs available, I think it would be best to do a minor that supplements your major or makes you more marketable when you begin a job search.

  1. Study abroad: What benefits would you receive by studying abroad while at school versus during the summer or after graduating? Is the program really well developed? Does traveling and living abroad while you’re still at school provide a financial benefit because the program isn’t too expensive? Do you really need to go this place abroad to further your studies (e.g. foreign language, art, history, famous professor, etc.) or is it more for just the fun of travel?

If the study abroad is just for fun, I’d just wait until after graduating to go. However, if your school offers a really well priced study abroad package, it could be a great chance!

  1. Internships: If study abroad isn’t so significant to your school life, I think you shouldn’t take all the summer courses and instead do internships your 3rd and 4th year. Just imagine when you go in for job interviews after graduating with a major in let’s say Graphic Design. Would the potential employer be more likely to hire you if you studied abroad in Italy for three months OR if you already had 4-6 months of graphic design experience during two summer internships and good references from both those jobs.

From everyone I talk to I always hear the job market is tough. If you want to separate yourself from all the other students in your graduating class, get the best summer internship related to your expected area of work after graduating. Those internships will provide resume experience, professional references, and maybe they will even hire you immediately after graduating!