Things No One Tells You

I learned a lot of things through the course of my undergraduate career, and a some things I had already known, but were merely reinforced. Here is my list, in no particular order.

• Participate in your campus community. As a mom in college, you barely have time for classes and all those entail, certainly, but you would be surprised what you can do if you organize your time well. I worked on campus, was an elected officer of one club, and an elected student representative in another. You can and should use any experience you gain on campus on your resume. An employer (or grad school) will be impressed that you raised children while going to college; being active on campus in addition to your "normal" duties is even more impressive.
• Be very choosy in selecting your internship site. Not all programs require an internship, but if you do have the option, DO IT, but really educate yourself on your options. Start thinking about it at least the semester prior, and interview with different people, then make an informed decision. I was very proactive in seeking mine, and ended up with a great experience.
• Network. Most majors have outside organizations to which you can belong, and usually for little cost, since good organizations have student rates. Join these organizations. Read the newsletters or magazines, subscribe to the listservs, and keep up on the goings-on in the profession. Attend conferences if you can. Organizations are a good way to get your name out there, to meet others in the profession, and can help when it comes time to find a job.
• Realize that you are not in control. Weather, vehicles, children, and family emergencies seldom, if ever, work around your schedule. I have missed class due to icy roads. Jacob broke his elbow and over the course of 6 weeks, we had many orthopedic appointments, all during school hours. I caught a 12-hour stomach bug the evening prior to my last final. You are not in control as much as you would like to be sometimes, so be proactive in getting your work finished, and study when the opportunity presents itself. Again, it is all about organization. I cannot stress this enough.
• It is easier to drop classes than to add. No one can ever tell you with exact certainty that you can take 12 or 16 or 18 credits with no problem; this is something you invariably learn as you go along, and what is true one semester may not be true the next. As a campus student, I initially thought I would take 12 credit hours, but in the 11th hour, I decided I could handle 18. One semester, I took 19 credit hours. It was not easy, but I shaved an entire semester off my graduation date as a result of this. I always suggest taking as many hours as you can because if you are overwhelmed, you can always drop something, and if you do it early enough, you can get a full refund on that dropped class. Learn your institution's policies on this, and then go for it. However, if time and money are no object, then by all means take your time.
• It is YOUR education. I know students who had advisors that were bullies, thinking they knew what was best for their advisees, being less than kind when the student did not choose that particular path. In instances that involve your major, your advisor hopefully knows your career plans well enough to help you make informed choices. However, this is your education, and ultimately your choice as to what classes you take beyond the required classes. Do not let anyone force you take fewer or more credits per semester than you are comfortable; likewise, do not let anyone blindly choose your electives for you. Read past syllabi if you can, talk to other professors, and then make informed decisions.
• Remember, it doesn't last forever. There are times when you are going to be overwhelmed; there is no getting around that. You are only human. You may miss a deadline, you may not do well on a test or project. Do not get discouraged. You applied and got into college, so apparently your institution has faith in you. The average semester is about 16 weeks in length; you can do anything for 16 weeks. Learn from mistakes, but let them go and move onward.