Need credits?!

Are you looking through the course catalog thinking "I don't want to take any of these classes." Well, welcome to my world. I am a senior, and desperately searching for twelve credits that I am interested in!

Here's the thing...there are still things I am interested in learning about, and I can kill hours of time on Google just finding interesting things out. What should I do I asked myself last night in the library. I need twelve credits, and there are only about nine that I'm interested in in taking? Solution: Independent Study! (this came to me at 12:30am in the library)

Since I am a senior I have several professors who know me on a personal level, and most of my professors I have taken several classes with. One professor, Dr. Levy, is an expert in American politics, and during a class of hers I became extremely intrigued with the Bill Clinton legacy. After a project and a paper I would randomly myself in the library stacks looking for other Bill Clinton books. I craved to know anything about him - his policy, his speeches, his scandals, his marriage, and pretty much anything that was about him. I know, I know I'm probably boring people, but I can't help my interests.

Anyway, an independent study is great for any student who is interested in getting more information about a topic. Plus, having a connection with a professor can lead to networking for you! It's an added bonus; don't forget that professors probably met many people in your field of interest, and may have done something else before they started teaching.

An independent study can also be a launching pad for many students. It can be the first step for publication. You may be saying, "Well, why is publication important?" First off, it's a great resume builder. Having a published article as undergraduate will definitely set you away from the pack. It's a great way to get your name into the field early. On top of that, building your resume with publications is good because it lets recruiters or admissions counselors know that you take your education seriously. It's going that one step further than you have to as an undergraduate.

Secondly, if you choose to get your Masters degree in your field of study you are going to have to write a thesis paper. This paper could be up to 50 pages. You probably want some practice before you can get sit down and whip one of those out. Seriously - an independent study course is all about one professor guiding you through the process of making a paper with an original thesis, and a new look at something.

Independent studies allow for students to grow comfortable doing original research and delving into a topic that interests them. Plus, think about how much of your time an independent study can free up! Most likely you will have to present your research (in the spring most professors have their students present their work at Scholar's Day), and be able to speak fluently on the topic. This is another added bonus - it will look great on your resume!

Interested in politics?

I actually started my career at Brockport as a political science major and a communications minor. With no real idea what I wanted to do in politics I felt lost in the major, whereas I immediately fell into communications so by the time I was a sophomore I switched my major and minor. My minor mainly focuses on American politics which has always been my true interest. As I started looking into more political programs I started realizing that more people focus on American politics than I originally thought.

I think the hardest part about being involved with politics at a small school is getting onto the career path. So when you are searching for a political internship around the Brockport area, don't get discouraged because they are many opportunities in the Rochester region!

If you are interested in working for a House representative, you're in luck. Brockport is in Monroe county, represented by Congresswoman Louise Slaughter who has several offices in the surrounding areas, and right next door is Ontario County, represented by freshman Congressman Eric Massa. I'll be interning for his Pittsford office in the spring semester! There are also regional opportunities in intern with State Senators in the office. And beyond this, Rochester is a fairly large city in New York State allowing for opportunities with an important mayor and his sucessful staff. These are just a few ideas to get your search started.

Don't forget about two programs that Brockport offers for anyone interested in politics - Washington Semester Program and Albany Semester Program. These offers allow students interested in politics to get their hands dirty in D.C. and Albany. Check out the Brockport Career Services website for more information!

Reaching for the stars!

As a senior at Brockport, with one semester to go, I realized that to start accomplishing anything I needed to simply make goals. So I started with something simple, finding a final internship. After a few weeks I was getting no where, so I started looking to goals. I wanted to know what I needed to do to make mine work. Turns out it's simple - when reaching for the stars you need concrete time lines, written down goals, and you have to be realistic. Like most things, you have to start small, and build up to your big goal, and it certainly will not come quickly.

A goal can be key to accomplishing almost anything. Let's start with why some goals just won't work. According to John M Grohol, Psyd, 75 percent of people who make a resolution fail on their first attempt and most people, 67 percent, make more than one resolution. WHY? First, New Year's Resolutions are often caused by a negative response to something. This means that something bad happened, and they feel like they need to correct it. Second, New Year's Resolutions are often too broad. To reach for a goal you need to have something concrete and specific. And finally, there is typically a lack of true motivation behind New Year's Resolutions. To really accomplish a goal a person has to be willing to try.

What should goals really do? A goal is an effective tool when you need to focus your direction, get the maximum use of your time, achieve the best results possible, and it can also boost your self-esteem and confidence. Keep in mind that a goal shouldn’t be a mashed together effort, but it should be specific to each thing you are interested in accomplishing.

If you are interested in making a goal work for you then I suggest you use something called a SMART goal. This is a specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely goal. Having these five components be a part of your goal will ensure that you are effective when working through your goal. So, let’s start with the “S.” A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished versus a goal that embodies too many objectives. To reach one specific goal try asking yourself the six W questions: Who, what, where, when which, and why.

Now we will move on to measurable. This represents how much you will accomplish during your goal. When you are working with the M word you want to measure your progress to ensure you stay on track. This means reaching your target dates and tracking your experience. For example, if you were doing an internship search I suggest having certain dates like, “I will contact Company X by this date,” as well as saying, “I will contact X amount of companies.” Along with the measurable aspect, you need to have an attainable goal.

Having a goal that is something along the lines of owning a $10 million home goal is not attainable right now. Something more attainable is finding an internship for the spring semester. Goals are attainable if you can plan steps to get there and establish a time frame. But even if you set a goal like owning a $10 million home it may become reachable as you grow and expand to match your goals. It all depends on YOU.

Next you need a goal that will be realistic. You want to have a goal that you are both willing and able to work towards. A goal can be high and realistic; for example if you were looking for a paid internship you might consider this high, but as long as you decide to work towards the goal you are more likely to accomplish this. The more you believe in your goal, the more realistic it will be. And finally a goal must be timely.

And finally, goals should be grounded with a time frame therefore you will know that you are working towards something. Think about it like a “due date.” If you are lacking that finality then there is no sense of importance.