Hello to the incoming freshmen of the University of Wisconsin – Madison. The thoughts on navigating college life while also trying to carve a path into your career may be overwhelming, but my biggest advice would be to take it one step at a time.
As an upcoming sophomore, my freshmen year is fresh in my memory. I came into UW-Madison without a major, and that was a weighting thought in the back of my mind. Despite this, the campus had many resources for you to use when thinking about this decision like the Career Exploration Center (CEC), along with a very supportive and welcoming community to lean on. Once I decided on my major in my second semester, I had access to my career advisor. My major is English, and within that community they share many opportunities for internships, student organizations, and other opportunities in which I could earn experience to prepare in pursuing a career. It’s important to point out, I focused on finding my major first, in order to them look at future career focused opportunities, there is no need to rush and prepare for everything at once.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you shouldn’t compare yourself to other people who are at a different step in life than you. Everyone has a different history, they may be more prepared or confident at the beginning, but that doesn’t mean you can’t reach that step either. Everyone is on their own journeys, which means that a lot of change. Relationships and friendships may come and go, but learning about and from the new people around you is important. Even a small interaction could create big opportunities in the long run.