End of Semester Checklist
This blog was written by Peer Career Ambassadors Stela Maksutaj ‘17 and Michael Horbowy ’18.
Plan your Goals for the Summer
The summer should be relaxing and fun, but also a time to excel yourself in ways you might not have time for during the academic year. What are your personal goals? Will you take a class to brush up on technical skills, join soul cycle, or start the business you always dreamed of? Make THIS summer the one you can look back on and be proud of your accomplishments. Travel the world and build your business skills, be a self-starter and impress your boss, and make every single day one that is worth remembering.
Finalize Summer Employment and Housing
Don’t worry if you don’t have an internship yet. Employers are still posting positions on their websites and various online job boards, including Career Connections. Once you do have an internship, start looking for summer housing immediately. It can be difficult to find a place to stay for such a short period of time, so look for sublets where landlords are away for the summer or in-between long-term tenants. In order to lower the rent, which can cut into your summer profits, try to find someone who can live with you over the summer and split the cost with him/her. This also give you the advantage of having a friendly face to explore an unfamiliar city with on the weekends. A few good resources are National Sublet Search, Apartment List, and Intern Housing.
Create a Networking List
Speaking with alumni is a great way to both expand your network and learn more about different facets of business. A great way to make a list of professionals to meet with is to filter Babson alumni by the city you will be spending your summer in on LinkedIn. Don’t focus exclusively on people in the same industry as your internship – try to speak with people who have taken different career paths to provide a more well-rounded view of the business world.
Prepare for Study Abroad
I know that you don’t want to start thinking about next semester before we finish this one, but now is the time to start preparing to study abroad. Look into visas, cell phone plans, and credit cards for your time abroad. You should also start to make plans for how you will get to your host institution before airlines start raising their prices. Programs inform you of the date you need to arrive on early so that you can make your travel plans early and avoid the higher costs later on.
Prepare for Next Year
By this time you probably have an idea of the types of classes you’ll be taking, so why not get a head start? Especially if you are going into Junior or Senior year, the types of classes on your schedule are going to look and sound a lot more of what you are interested in. Why not start doing research about the European Union if you are planning on taking a class on it in the fall? Or, start brushing yourself up on managerial accounting to feel ahead of any stress coming your way. You can never be TOO prepared!
Leave a Lasting Impression
Every semester we come in with preconceived goals and aspirations. Did you reach them? It’s the home stretch now, so it is imperative that everything you do to finish out the year is done with your best foot forward and thinking ahead. Maybe you wanted to start a club and never found the time, find it now. The least you can do is start holding yourself accountable for your aspirations, and I promise you’ll surprise yourself with what you can actually do. Study harder than ever for your exams, take the extra mile in your organizational involvement, and remind the world that you are leaving for break- but WILL BE BACK.