Madison Monka
Struggling to succeed at college? Need some guidance with what resources you should be looking at? Any college will have an abundance of resources if you just keep your eyes open!
Luckily for us, Penn State offers so many resources for us to succeed as students during our time here and even after! Still wondering what those resources are and how to succeed? No problem.
Join clubs
Join clubs! Clubs not only give you the opportunity to gain experience but also have some fun and make friends.
Coming into college is intimidating when you don’t know people, however joining clubs you enjoy gives you the opportunity to meet people with similar interests. With under 900 different types of clubs, there are a bunch of different options!
As a COMM student, I have been a part of different organizations such as SPA Marketing Committee, AD/PR club, American Advertising Federation and Happy Valley Comm.
After transferring to UP, I wanted to maximize my academic opportunities through clubs. Through clubs, I have been able to run a social media account, perform extensive research for a client while providing deliverables, write press releases, work through a campaign for Indeed and so much more.
Office hours
The class size at UP isn’t the most ideal environment to connect with your professors. That’s why office hours were created! While it may be awkward the first time, it is a great way to get help with your class and develop a connection with your professors.
For me, I gained unexpected knowledge by talking to my professors and got useful information for my class regarding quizzes and projects.
Meet with your college’s career service
Bellisario, College of Communications, offers an abundance of people who can be key resources to your career and college experience. You can schedule one on one appointments with Bob Martin or Julie Miller to review and revise your resume or cover letter as well as start your job search process with Bob.
As a junior who is graduating a year early in May, I know I took advantage of this since I am not familiar with the process at all. You can also meet with your advisor to get advice in pursuing another major, minor or certificate to differentiate yourself from the others.
Jump on opportunities
Check your email! If you are a Bellisario student like me, you probably get multiple emails a day from Bob Martin. You may brush over these emails, but they are incredibly helpful to move you forward. These include internship opportunities, part- or full-time jobs, workshops to help you with your resume or cover letter and more. This will provide you with the best hands-on experience. These amazing opportunities can be missed by people because they don’t check their email.
Personally, I ultized a social media post from Penn State Berks for my summer internship. I saw an opportunity posted, applied, and got great experience that summer. You can also look for Penn State part-time or full-time jobs on My Work Day or other work through Nittany Lion Careers.
Balance your life
You can’t just do academic activities 24/7 seven days a week. I often need to remind myself of this multiple times a week. College is stressful, set aside time for things that make you happy. For me that is hanging out with my friends, going to an exercise class, or getting a cup of coffee. You have to make sure you are not burning yourself out completely.
In the end, being academically successful is important in college, however it is not everything. If your mental health is struggling because of it, make sure you set aside time to take care of yourself however that is to you.
Although I feel like a walking endorsement for Penn State, I feel there are so many resources students can utilize and may not know them. We are only in college for a small amount of time, there won’t likely be a time again with all these resources we have access to. Put your best foot forward and don’t stop until you’ve reached your goal.
Happy Valley Comm 