Advice
What I Did on My Summer Vacation
By Marcy Kraus, dean of freshmen and director of the College Center for Academic Support
The relief is apparent as early May turns into the end of finals week. In the rush to leave campus, notebooks, printer cartridges, and random pens and post-its are all tossed into oversized storage boxes to be opened again in late August. Summer is an important time for college students to recharge. But it is also an optimum time to reflect and plan ahead. After spending the first year of college testing initial academic interests, some students will have deepened their academic commitments, others will be searching for new paths, and many will have minimally, a better idea of what they like and what they don't like.
Interested in editing a holistic dog magazine? Know you love physics but don't know what you can “do with it?” Developed a newfound passion in poetry? No longer sure about psychology? Some productive summer activities for all students include:
- Put the plan on paper: list all of the classes needed for a major in X, a minor in Y and a cluster in Z. Then look at the plan with a major in X and a second major in Y and a cluster in Z. Then look at the plan with a major in Y and a minor in X and a minor in Z.
- Consider critical opportunities for growth that you will not have once you graduate from college. That includes independent research, study abroad, a senior thesis or a leadership position in an organization. Note on your plan when you might pursue these opportunities.
- Read up on UR faculty. Identify two or three faculty members you would like to meet. Develop a list of questions you can ask. While some faculty may not be available during the summer, others are, and they will be happy to hear from students with an interest in their discipline.
- Imagine what you might be doing five or ten years from now. Contact family and friends and ask for their help in networking with people who have careers and jobs that interest you. Arrange a meeting over coffee to learn more about what they do.
- If you're not already participating in an internship see www.rochester.edu/careercenter and learn what steps to take to be competitive for an internship next summer.
- Who are your mentors? You might already know faculty, staff, family friends, and others who can share their stories and help support your personal development. If not, make it your goal to get to know at least one faculty member each semester of the coming year.
- Learn what credentials will be important for admission to graduate or professional programs you are considering. Identify what courses, grades and experiences you will need to be competitive in the application process.
- Who and what fascinates you? Read for fun this summer—a biography, a book on current affairs, or an autobiography.
