Junior year is the half-way point of many student’s college experience.
Juniors walk onto campus for the first day of classes feeling confident and glad to finally be considered an upperclassman. However, a month or so into the semester, after talking to an adviser, the panic sets in for many juniors who realize their GPA is low and their involvement on campus is nonexistent.
It is no secret that being involved and getting good grades are important for resume building and for securing a job after college, but many students start off their time in college unsure of where to turn.
They feel intimidated and nervous about getting involved. This intimidation causes many students to just show up to their required classes and then they go back to their dorm room and take a nap or do some homework.
Cortney Hanson, a current junior, was a little hesitant about getting involved when she first got to Cabrini fresh- man year.
As time went on and junior year approached, she had a major realization.
“College is almost over and I didn’t want to be scared anymore and just kept saying I was going to join things,” Hanson said. “It was time I actually did it.”
Hanson joined the Council for Exceptional Children
club in the education department this year and also stepped up into a leadership role as co-captain of the Cabrini dance team.
Professors and advisers tend to see a change in students during their junior year of college.
Amber Gentile, who has a doctorate in education and is a professor and adviser in the education department spoke on the matter.
“I see a difference in the commitment and involvement of students in their junior year. I witness a sense of confidence and comfort along with a focus and drive,” Gentile said.
“By junior year, students tend to have figured out what they want and what works for them,” Gentile said.
Dr. Dawn Francis, a professor and adviser in the communication department, also notices a positive change in second-year students. She often sees many students step up into leadership roles and strive to bring up their GPA as they start to really prepare for the workplace.
Francis notes that students often have peers who are actively involved in campus clubs and organizations. She suggests students reach out to those peers and talk to them about what is involved in certain clubs and activities and how to join.
Francis believes that it is never too soon to get involved on campus.
Try to get involved freshman year. Waiting until college is halfway over will not improve resume building.
“Try to get involved in clubs or activities in your major but beyond that, look around the campus and see how you can become involved,” said Francis. “Getting involved early on is important so that students begin to build skills and build relationships with people.”
Knowing people becomes valuable when applying for jobs in the future.
It is important to remember that even if a junior is realizing they never made the effort to get involved, or maybe even slacked off when it came to getting good grades, it is not too late to join a club or bring grades up. There are two years left, it is still possible to make them count.
