By the way, if you are not going to college, will you share this with someone who is? Thank you!

Familiarize yourself with the services on campus. Find out about health services, career planning assistance, student government and advising services. If you have a particular challenge, like a learning disability or fear of tests, look for supportive resources. The little bit of time you spend researching will pay off big time.

Going to school during a pandemic is historical. You need to blaze a trail. If you are an on-campus student make sure you are healthy and safe. If you are a remote learner or a hybrid, don’t miss out on anything! Ask for appointments online and get engaged.

Don’t try to figure everything out by yourself. Work with an academic advisor to determine what courses to take, how to deal with impacted classes and how to remove barriers to your goals. Guaranteed you will learn something valuable if you ask good questions and follow the advice of a great advisor.

BTW, quick note. If the advisor is not helpful, do not give up. Ask for an appointment with someone else. You can’t let creepy people dictate your future success.

If you are like 92% of incoming Freshman, you plan to get a job after college. This does not occur magically. You have to develop a plan and prepare yourself. Here are some items to put on your checklist:

• Find the Career Center (or whatever they call it) and learn about the services offered. Meet with a career counselor in your first semester and build a relationship.
• Plan to visit your career counselor yearly. Grow with support.
• It does not matter if you have a solid direction or if you are still searching. Either way, the Career Center will help you.
• Take every workshop they offer. Learn how to interview, write a resume and network effectively.

You will learn how to manage your time, deal with social distractions and achieve your goals. These are skills that will pay off for the rest of your life.

The number one way to excel in your career is to know yourself extremely well. The easiest way to do this is to read Elevate Your Career: Live a Life You’re Truly Proud Of. Time and again people tell me they wish they had read it when they were getting started, so grab a copy and learn success strategies that will elevate your future.

When you buy Elevate Your Career: Live a Life You’re Truly Proud Of, you get a coupon for a free career assessment. Elevations for Students (accessible by phone or tablet) helps you prioritize your values, identify the skills you enjoy using, profiles your temperament and offers current and emerging career options that match your interests. You will receive also self-confidence boosting report that describes your innate talents and capabilities.

The benefits of working and exploring your options while in school are substantial. You will:

• Learn about your strengths and weaknesses
•  Get feedback from professionals
• Mature both personally and professionally
• Build your resume to compete more effectively when you graduate
• Polish your interpersonal skills
• Build your confidence
• Refine your goals based on real-life experience
• Establish a network of peers and mentors

If you want to graduate with an array of juicy job offers, take action on the items above. Grow, have fun, learn and secure your future.