Making the Most of College Part 2

It matters more what you do at college than where you do it. I believe that the student who does each of the following at the College of New Jersey will grow more educationally and personally than a Harvard student who just goes through the motions. And for the reasons described above, his career will not be impeded for the lack of a designer-label diploma.

Extracurriculars

I must admit that I enjoyed the regular ol’ college activities: going to parties, hanging out with friends, and going to the ballgame. But your child will probably grow most by participating in one or more of these activities:

• hosting a show on the campus radio or TV station
• participating in student government, even if just as an unelected committee member
• being active in a club—from kayaking to photography-- or even better, starting a club on a theme your child cares a lot about. (Colleges encourage this.)
• volunteering to be the student representative on a campuswide committee, for example, the faculty senate.
• writing for the college newspaper
• playing on a sports team, even if intramural

Students should first visit the campus career center as a freshman. It will open their eyes to career options they might never have considered or teach them about internships that can be career launchpads. Choosing a tentative career early can assist in choosing a major, term paper topics, fieldwork assignments, and internships.

Also enhancing career prospects, students, as juniors or seniors, should become student members of the college’s alumni association. Most colleges allow this and doing so provides an excellent opportunity to build relationships that can lead to an internship or good job after graduation. Students also grow immensely by occasionally talking about the meaning of life instead of the meaning of the ball game or that guy's glance.

Conclusion

Despite the enormity of the investment, most parents do little to maximize that investment other than to push their child to get into the most difficult-to-get-into college possible, and then find a way to pay for it, even when it seriously impedes the family’s lifestyle or financial security. They then send Junior off to college with little more guidance than “Study hard, don’t drink too much, and wear a condom.” Following this article’s advice will help ensure that your child gets more from your college investment.