Throughout Your Undergraduate Career

• Take courses that will both enrich your academic career as well as satisfy graduation requirements--don't just take any course that will fit into your schedule to satisfy requirements
• Avoid large lecture classes whenever possible; but if it can't be helped, be doubly sure that you take advantage of the professor's office hours
• Develop mentoring relationships with faculty, staff, and others
• Get off the couch! Get involved in significant extra-curricular and service activities. Don't just join organizations for a "line on the resume"
• Explore & develop your various interests and talents--don't be shy and don't let unique or interesting opportunities pass you by; think of your time on campus as a "vast overnight camp"
• Have fun
• Take advantage of faculty office hours
• Use your summers wisely: partake in research, internships, and community service projects in the US or abroad. Consider applying for an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates)
• Apply for various scholarships, departmental awards, etc.
• Participate in brown bag seminars and attend departmental and public lectures
• Find ways to present your own research or significant public service or internship experiences to others
• Take charge of your education! Don't wait for others to come to you--it is up to you to make sure that you are not just another student face in the crowd
• Network
• Put your name on various electronic newsletters around campus--this is a great way to find out what's going on, learn about funding or unique educational opportunities, and meet faculty and others who share your interests
• Carve a unique niche for yourself

The Freshman Year
Begin NOW to take control of your education.

• Look for interesting, well-taught courses
• Don't take just any course simply to satisfy Gen Ed or other requirements
• Take courses that will enrich your academic career and/or are of interest to you
• Don't go for the easy grade at the expense of the challenging and enriching class

Besides course selection, NOW is the time to take advantage of the myriad of academic and intellectual resources available to you:

• Get to know your advisor, department faculty, and college deans
• Develop mentoring relationships with faculty, staff, and upper classmen
• Go to faculty office hours and discuss academic and social concerns and interests
• Seek out research and/or independent study opportunities

• Engage in research, internship, and/or independent study opportunities
• Continue taking small, research-oriented seminars or other challenging courses
• Start taking upper-division (300-level) courses
• Apply for fellowships/scholarships from your department, college, leadership center, or study abroad, as well as nationally competitive awards such as the Goldwater and Udall
• Apply for (external) grants if you have an interesting research or community service project in mind

• Apply for fellowships/scholarships such as the Beinecke, Goldwater, Truman, Udall, etc.
• Do an honors thesis or other major research or independent study project that will pull it all together and allow you to "get your hands dirty" doing intensive research of interest to you
• Grow seriously involved in your own or others' public service projects [hint: you may want to find/devise a project that is related to your academic/professional interests]
• Take mostly upper-division courses

• Even if you submitted a priority application in the spring, you will need to receive official university endorsement and complete your applications at this time.

If You Engage in Study Abroad (a wonderful opportunity!)

• Don't fall victim to "out of sight, out of mind" syndrome; stay in touch with your professors and department
• Try to avoid taking Gen Ed courses, but use your time abroad wisely to develop your intellectual and/or career interests
• Get involved with your host community through organizations, internships, independent study/research, English language tutoring, and community service/ volunteer projects