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UW Madison is full of opportunities outside of the classroom to connect with students and industry professionals. If you went to college only to go to class and stay in your dorm, then you could’ve saved money by staying home. Here are a few ways I’ve developed my interests without going to class.
Go to office hours
Please go to office hours! Your highly educated professors are giving you their time. Office hours can be great for clearing up confusion on assignments or talking about future events or internships. This time is also good to build personal connections with the person grading your papers. Many professors sit alone in their offices for several hours a week and are happy to talk about anything. Go talk to them. They are there to help you!
Joins a Club or a Learning community
UW Madison has over 1,000 student organizations. If you look you are bound to find one that interests you. These organizations can connect you with professionals and like minded students that can help you with different projects as you grow. During my freshman year I was part of the studio learning community which allowed me different opportunities to create content for friends and produce content for studio showcases. Another club I would recommend if you have any interest in writing is the Daily Cardinal. This club gave me an excuse to go to events and talk to top professors in classes I was nowhere near to taking. If you have any questions, see if you can turn it into a news story.