High grades and a degree no longer guarantee the careers students could once expect. In an increasingly competitive job market, they must take advantage of the opportunities that provide eye-catching material and valuable skills for their resumes. 

Every choice and commitment will serve a pivotal role in determining whether or not they achieve success post-graduation. 

Resume-building activities can also enable students to create lasting friendships, explore new places, and gain valuable insight that will guide their career paths. 

The advice to college students often remains the same: stop procrastinating, save money, and find some way to maintain your sanity during finals week. 

These suggestions serve a purpose, but they fail to provide college students with the crucial tips they need the most. 

Taking advantage of freshman year, dedicating time to networking, pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, and practicing healthy habits will tremendously benefit students in and beyond their college years.

Don’t waste freshman year. Students’ choices matter the moment they set foot on campus–not when their sophomore year begins.

Students often believe that freshman year is the time to push off obligations, supposedly because you can’t enjoy your college experience while committed to leadership and work responsibilities. 

This choice causes students to miss out on crucial benefits. Pursuing involvement in areas like part-time jobs and student organizations early on can provide the stepping stones to better opportunities. 

Connections matter—more than you think. It wasn’t until college when I realized the vital role that connections serve in aiding students’ success. 

Students regularly receive the advice “engage with your professors during and after class.” Despite hearing it again and again, this tip often remains overlooked. 

Making connections with professors has enabled me not only to succeed more in the classroom, but also receive recommendation letters, career advice and even an internship later on. 

The importance of connections extends outside of the classroom as well. Networking with supervisors and co-workers can significantly boost a student’s chances of obtaining better roles. 

Push yourself outside your comfort zone. College provides the training ground for future jobs and experiences. If you’re worried about public speaking, communicating in front of a camera or leading a team, then college can provide the perfect opportunity to acquire these skills.

Fail, then fail again until you secure the skills you need; better now than when you’re speaking in front of hundreds of people at a business conference. 

Making mistakes presents students with learning experiences that enable them to gain new skills and receive helpful insight from mentors. 

Prioritize your health and create a routine. Sometimes personal or academic obligations take the wheel and force healthy habits to take the backseat. Students can experience negative consequences when they disregard taking naps, hitting the gym or escaping the endless monotony of classes and homework once in awhile. 

A tireless lifestyle will inevitably produce negative effects on your mental health, which can lead to burnout and poor performance in classes. 

It takes intentional effort to take care of one’s health. Students should set aside time in their schedule to enjoy meaningful activities like spending time with friends or taking a walk in the Arboretum. 

It means that as a perfectionist or overachiever, you limit commitments to not end up with a schedule filled from morning until night everyday. 

Students should also take advantage of the resources that UK offers like counselors, the gyms, resident advisors and tutoring services. 

Utilizing this advice carries more weight in a time where students enter an increasingly competitive job market. Ambitious students must consider more deeply how they utilize their time. 

Media outlets bombard students with pessimistic news about their job prospects. Industries where most college graduates intend to work are laying off employees and reevaluating their hiring plans, according to The Washington Post. 

Furthermore, the article states that industries such as food service or nursing homes maintain the greatest need for workers’ career paths that far less college students hold any interest in pursuing. 

Underemployment has also become a common outcome for college students, according to The Wall Street Journal. Around half of college graduates hold jobs where their degrees aren’t necessary. 

This daunting job market should encourage students to pursue more valuable experiences in and outside their university.  They must go above and beyond in building a compelling resume that highlights their unique skills and roles. 

So, dive into college experiences without hesitation. Make connections with professors, peers and employers. Find the skills you lack and force yourself to improve them. Practice healthy habits and stick to a routine. 

Follow these tips, and you will make the most out of your college experience and leave prepared to make a valuable contribution in the workforce.