Hi! Welcome to our first REAL blog post. If you missed our introduction, check out Meet Campus to Corporate to learn more about our background and why we started Campus to Corporate!
We still clearly remember our first week at UGA when we were full of excitement and anxiety, unsure what the future held for us. Now, four years later, this campus has become our home. It has been a long arduous journey, but we wanted to share some skills we learned while in undergrad that we believe would be beneficial to your success. And, don’t worry, each of these will get their own spotlight in future posts.
Between science classes, research, clubs, music, and dance, we threw ourselves into everything UGA has to offer. We added majors, switched career paths, got rejected from a lot of opportunities, made lifelong friends, and tried to leave a legacy on campus.
We learned a lot throughout college to say the least. Some of these skills we wish we had known before freshman year—like how to actually manage our time instead of running on three hours of sleep while working at the main library. Others, we only learned by the time we were about to graduate such as embracing uncertainty and building meaningful relationships beyond college. So, to help out anyone just starting or anyone looking to hit the reset button on their college experience, here are 10 skills that shaped our college experience.
This is just a quick overview, but in the coming weeks, we’ll be diving deep into each one with real stories, lessons learned the hard way, and practical takeaways. Let’s get into it!
Drive – You are your biggest motivator! At the end of the day, only you can push yourself to go after the big opportunities and take the risks. We both have put ourselves out there for organizations and leadership roles that we thought we didn’t have the best background for but we cared and wanted to leave an impact which allowed us to grow. A large piece of advice is to simply set a goal for yourself, and then every semester lay out the 3-5 things you need to undertake to make that happen.
Time Management – The biggest difference between high school and college is that no one structures your time for you, so it’s easy to struggle with overcommitment (constantly running on low sleep and way too much Starbucks shaken espressos). Learning to use tools such as Google Calendar, Google sheets, managing to-do lists in the notes app, and practicing saying no made the difference for us.
Reflection – The biggest growth happens when looking back thoughtfully rather than just always moving forward. This is a skill we learned much later in our college career but wish we started practicing earlier. The introspection that comes with reflection is crucial in our path of self-discovery. Through learning about what you value and why you value it, you can learn what career and opportunities are right for you so that you are placing your energy where you have the greatest impact on yourself and others.
Prioritization – As much as we would like to have Hermione’s time turner and do everything, we simply can’t. Spreading ourselves too thin also prevents us from diving deeply into certain areas and creating change. This skill goes hand and hand with drive, find the 4-7 opportunities you want to invest your time in and hold that close to you. Whether that is hosting a book club, undertaking research, or playing in an intramural sport, there are many ways to get involved, build a resume, and simply enjoy college. But, do NOT just fill your time with activities you do not care about and cannot connect back to your “why.”
Balancing Personal & Professional Aspirations – Aspiration is important to success, but even more importantly is identifying the opportunities you need to build skills or experiences in certain areas. Whether starting a blog to reflect, joining student government to make an impact, or being part of a dance team to continue a childhood passion, it is important to put yourself in many unique situations that allow you to grow in meaningful ways that benefit YOU. Not everyone needs to pursue *cough cough do not tell our PI’s* research, but it can help you build time management, knowledge in a unique discipline, and learn how to interact and present your work to people smarter than you. The trick is to find what makes you excited.
Being Open to Ambiguity and Change – College is ambiguity101, navigating difficulty, and adjusting to life beyond high school. One of the biggest lessons we learned is that there’s no single, predefined path to success. It’s easy to assume that when you pick a major, you’re locked into a specific career (like being a doctor), but, we’ve seen biology majors go into consulting, finance majors pursue social impact work, and art students become surgeons. Careers evolve, and new opportunities constantly arise, arguably many of which you won’t even know exist until you’re a few years in. Don’t limit yourself without seeing what experiences are available to you. Be willing to pivot, take risks, and explore opportunities outside of your initial plan.
Giving Back – Arguably, giving back is a fundamental skill, and in working in development, we have always been told of the three t’s: time, talent, or treasure. Use your talent or background in a meaningful way by investing in or mentoring others. I know as college students without a steady income it can be hard, but even writing a check and donating $10 a month is a way to be impactful without breaking the bank. We love working with and mentoring underclassmen because we went through the exact same struggles and existential crises when we were in their shoes. Our commitment for giving back stems from the huge investment former upperclassmen put into us.
Building Friendships & Community – Gosh. College would simply not be what it is without the many friendships we have made along the way. Our biggest piece of advice? Make time for them. Know who is there for you, and be there for them too. Maybe you will have a night where you have a lot of work to do and a close friend asks you to go play pool because it is their birthday. Maybe it’s not the wisest thing to do, but know that those around you are the most important assets that you have. So, make time for them. It’s all about showing up when it matters most. And remember, that true friends will also show up for you time and time again. If they care, they will.
Dealing with Imposter Syndrome – We cannot even begin to tell all of you how much we have been rejected- from an organization, scholarship, opportunity- and thought the world was going to end. The feeling sucks. The ‘sophomore slump,’ was truly a difficult time. However, everything that is meant to be will come for you, and know that there are millions of more opportunities ahead. So, keep pushing and applying for all the opportunities that align with your interests. Also, there’s no point in comparing yourself to the person next to you because 99% of the time you are not even competing against those in your immediate circle. For example, our 4-person biochemistry-major squad has one going into consulting, one interested in pursuing law school, one going to medical school, and one taking a gap year also interested in clinical medicine. The only thing you have control over is yourself, so focus on improving yourself and your work.
Understanding Personal Finance – Roth IRA this, Vanguard that, or 529 talk. Yeah, it seems slightly foreign and intimidating, but personal finance is so important. Helping others understand how to be financially responsible has been a large goal for Dawson (null of the too frequently eating out). Understanding how to invest even $50 a month in index funds or having no debt is largely important in success and preparing yourself for the future.
These topics will be broken down and analyzed in many more posts to come, but we wanted to offer an initial overview on what we believe are 10 of the most important skills to build during your time as an undergrad and as you turn into your next opportunity in life. You may find that many of these skills overlap, and they do! Most importantly is understanding how to best prepare yourself for the future. If you have specific questions on any of these skills or how to apply them to your own lives, don’t hesitate to reach out!