Tips for Rising Sophomores and Juniors: Summer To-Do List

Tips From a Private Irvine Tutor | Rising Sophomores and Juniors: Summer To-Do List

There are countless information and advice available for incoming freshmen and students who will be entering the workforce for the first time this fall. However, there are plenty of things that rising sophomores and juniors in college can do this summer that will help them be successful as well. Students who are in the middle of their college career should consider reviewing important information from past courses, should look for internships and internship-like situations, and should look for ways to streamline their class schedule. The more efficient students are throughout their entire college career, the more likely they will be to graduate in four years and have a successful and invigorating post-secondary learning experience – become a more efficient college student with the help of an Orange County summer tutor.

1. Create a flexible internship situation

Although internships are highly competitive (and not that easy to come by these days), college students can learn just as much by doing an unofficial internship. This may include working with a professor or professional in their major field of study who will allow the student to shadow them throughout the workday. In this situation, the student will learn a lot about the field or the workplace and can gain valuable skills about choosing a major or learning where to get started in the business. Although they may not be able to put these skills on their resume as an ‘internship’, they can gain valuable information about future and career.

2. Review past material

Many students ‘luck out’ when it comes to a test or two. If this is the case, it might be a good idea to review material that may have been overlooked. Although some students may have breezed through finals and then promptly forgotten a lot of important information, they are reminded that English 1A is followed by English 1B. If a student had to know how to write a 5 page paper using MLA format with every comma in its place last year, they will probably have to write a 10 page paper using MLA format this year. Students who feel iffy about the material they learned in the past year are encouraged to review said material over the summer. A day or two of review could potentially save a student hours upon hours of wasted time during the fall semester (READ: “10 Study Tips from an Irvine History Tutor”).

3. Get started on a career search

Although it may seem totally overwhelming for a rising sophomore or junior to start thinking about their career, it’s a smart thing to do given the nation’s current economic and employment situation. It would be better for a student to find out early on that one thing or another might not work out or that their dream job may require additional study or funding. This way they can still change their path relatively easily or prepare for a potentially tumultuous career search. Many outgoing seniors are discouraged to find out that it takes them over a year to land a good starting position because they haven’t done an internship or certification program needed to start in their field. Additionally, many seniors find out a little too late that the field they dreamed of entering requires a Masters degree or other additional education that they cannot afford at this point in her life. However, if a student finds out this information earlier on in their college career, they have a better chance of getting certain things out of the way so they can enjoy their dream job earlier rather than later.

4. Make connections

The importance of making connections prior to graduating from college can’t be stressed enough. Many new grads find that they didn’t get enough references or that they don’t have enough fluid connections, those that continue to be updated through friendships and current professional connections, to help them with their initial job search. Students who work on making connections sophomore and junior year can finish college with a long list of people to call for help when it comes to education and work (READ: “The 2016 SAT: Vocabulary vs. Vocabulary in Context”).

Bottom line

Although many college students only think about using the summer as a way to either make money or take summer school, there are many things they can do that can be highly beneficial to the efficiency of their fall semester and potential career choices down the road. Students who spend just a few hours making connections, reviewing past material, and learning how to streamline their curriculum will have a much easier start to the next semester.

Make the most of your time off with the help of an Orange County private summer tutor. Call us today to get matched with the perfect tutor.

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