Junior and Senior Years
Amidst your academic and extracurricular commitments, don’t forget the importance of maintaining a healthy balance. Managing stress and paying attention to your physical and mental health is important for your overall well-being. Beyond the classroom, it's essential to explore opportunities that complement your coursework and provide real-world experiences. You should also be thinking about options for after you graduate.
Continue Your Academic Journey
As you get closer to graduation, it's essential to monitor your progress towards graduation requirements by consulting with your advisor, and explore options such as minors, internships, and research. Enhance your coursework with extracurricular activities, including research, internships, volunteering, and employment to broaden your academic and career experiences.
Check your progress on graduation requirements
It is important to make sure that you are on-track to graduation. Consult with your advisor if you have questions or concerns. You can also discuss possible minors and co-curricular opportunities like internships and research.
Complement your coursework with extracurricular activities
Inquire about opportunities for research or enter the career field through internships, volunteer work, or employment.
Expand Your Network and Build Community
Expand your network by identifying potential references, including faculty and mentors, who can write strong recommendation letters for your future endeavors. Explore leadership opportunities in campus jobs, student organizations, and clubs to develop essential skills. Prioritize your physical and mental health to maintain a healthy work-life balance and overall well-being.
Identify people who can serve as references
Identify faculty, supervisors, mentors or others who can write strong letters of recommendation for graduate school, professional school (medical, law, business) or job applications. Build relationships with them if you haven't already.
Consider leadership opportunities
Explore opportunities to develop leadership skills. These might be part of a campus job, like leading workshops or organizing events, or part of a student organization or club. Engaging in leadership roles allows you to develop skills such as communication, decision-making, problem-solving, and time management.
Continue to prioritize your physical and mental health
Don’t forget the importance of maintaining a healthy balance in your life. Managing stress and paying attention to your physical and mental health is crucial for overall well-being.
Engage in Experiential Learning and Career Options
Engage in professional development by attending relevant workshops and conferences. Build your resume with experiential opportunities like internships and research, and seek advice from career services. Explore graduate programs if further education is your goal, and initiate your job search by seeking entry-level positions and networking with potential employers.
Engage in professional development opportunities
Look for and attend workshops, seminars, and conferences related to your field of study or career interests. Many departments host colloquia and talks that are free to attend. If you are doing research or other scholarly activities, consider presenting at a conference. Look for career fairs or other opportunities to network with industry professionals.
Continue building your resume
Think about if there are experiential opportunities that you want to participate in. Depending on your interests, these could include internships, study abroad, community-based learning, or undergraduate research. Consult Cornell Career Services or career services in your college for ideas on how to present these skills in your resume. Explore graduate or professional programs
If you are planning to continue your education after your bachelor’s degree, you can begin exploring graduate and professional programs, and the testing required for admission. Consider if there are other enrichment opportunities to pursue, such as internships, research, or leadership roles that will strengthen your skills, broaden your perspective, and connect to your post-graduation plans. Make a career appointment to learn more.
Begin your job search
Look for entry-level positions, internships, or co-op opportunities in your desired field. Attend networking events and career fairs to connect with potential employers and gain insights into the job market. There are dozens of Cornell resources and career support people to guide you in this process.
