What you need to know about the Senior Year

Poor GPA?

No internship experience?

Do not want to go to graduate school?

No offers from the job fairs you attended?

No connection on Linkedin?

Unpaid tuition loans?

Want to do some make-up for not taking advantage of college life?

Or just not ready to say goodbye?

      These are just some of the struggles and problems that senior students face during their final year. If you want to enjoy your last year at school, you should plan ahead!

      Are you a freshman? Pay attention to every step you move, and decision you make in the next four years, because you do not want to have all the problems above.

       As a senior, I do not have a lot of sufficient solutions for all these problems. What I hope is this article can help you see and analyze the situation you are in right now.

    Before my first semester of senior year, I did not have any plans to go to graduate school. I hope to gain more real world experience which will help me know what  I need to learn to benefit my career in the future.  As a Journalism student, I do not worry a lot about finding a job because media is everywhere. However, I took a class that changed my plan, and I now decided to apply for graduate school.  Things happen every day, and plans are meant to be changed.  My advice, make two plans.

Plan A: Go to the career fairs and find a job.

Plan B: Make a timetable that indicates the last date you can take the GRE and applications' deadlines. List any possible programs you are interested and able to apply to.

These plans give you room for changing your mind.

      Internship experience does not guarantee a job. It is an extra point to add to your resume. It is better to have an internship during the break. However, I have seen some senior students do their internship during their final year. Also, some students will do different kinds of internship before they find a full-time job. Internships after graduation will help you know more about the field.

      Here you can find different kinds of opportunities to get some experience through on-campus organizations and volunteer work in Bloomington. 

      Indian University is a big school within different kinds of resources for pursuing a job. The Career Development Center is great. Also, many departments’ advisors can give you a correct direction for your career.

      I am still not in my last semester of college. However, I already get so emotional. I can’t stop myself from re-thinking my past four years. Especially as an international student, I will go back to my own country after studying seven years in America. In the spring, I will not need to put myself on a waitlist for a course. In the coming fall, I will not need to wake up in the morning and go back home at 7:00 P.M.  We need to be ready to say goodbye to our friends, the community we lived, and the student identity. We can’t stop the time. So……Enjoy the class, the exam, and the time with your professors and friends!