Understand why you should take advantage of college beyond the classroom

Since success depends not only on the quality and conditions of teaching, but also on how students pursue learning opportunities. So, at the end of the course, we see graduates receiving the same diploma, but with very different levels of experience, which has a direct impact on professional competitiveness.

Taking this into account, taking advantage of college actually generates valuable learning ― skills that are added to the technique, which are extremely important for building your image in the job market .

Since you’re just starting college, it’s important to jump in as soon as possible and make this an incredible moment in your life! Let’s talk about this subject. Stay tuned for the next few lines!

College offers many more opportunities than you think

Truly taking advantage of your degree means gathering as much experience as possible, so that you can achieve personal and professional development, in order to build a CV that will make recruiters’ eyes pop.

Even if you don’t have time, for example, if you need to work and go to college ― which is the case for thousands of students across Brazil ―, it is essential to organize yourself to take advantage of opportunities to expand your knowledge beyond the mandatory curriculum.

Even if your institution is excellent in teaching, you need to have practical experiences that will help you build your professional posture in the job market. This can happen through your voluntary involvement in different projects and extracurricular activities. There are countless examples, such as:

• extracurricular courses;
• initiation into scientific research;
• academic events;
• participation in study groups;
• membership in academic directories;
• internships within the institution;
• participation in community service sectors.

These are just a few ways you can start on your path to professionalization, which we will detail later. Imagine that life is like a big string that we weave together with our experiences. Even if you change your path and decide to go in another direction, no one will take away the experience you have gained through your initiative.

Just don’t allow yourself to put obstacles in the way of taking advantage of college proactively. Staying passive, just attending classes, is a limiting mindset that could hinder your professional future .

Numerous activities can be developed at college

As we said, we will now go into a little more detail about each of the activities mentioned above and explain which professional skills can be acquired with them, both from a technical and behavioral point of view. It is important to know that this set of skills is increasingly required for a talent to be recognized by the market.

Extracurricular courses

Extracurricular courses are important for developing technical skills related to the chosen career. They are usually quick activities that take place once or twice a week at a separate time. They are important for delving deeper into specific topics that are useful for everyday professional life.

Initiation to scientific research

Initiation into scientific research gives you the opportunity to pursue an academic career and/or a field of research. Scientific initiation programs aim to provide learning in research techniques and methods, in addition to developing scientific thinking and creativity, through the conditions created by direct confrontation with research questions. Students are always assisted by a qualified researcher.

Events

Participating in events in your field is essential for you to start having contact with renowned professionals and personalities. This is an excellent way to develop communication skills and start building your network of professional contacts, the so-called networking.

To help you understand the importance of these events, students who excel in academic work even represent their colleges at international meetings. This will also teach you how to speak in public, put together a professional presentation, and deal with adverse situations, such as nervousness or unusual questions from the audience.

Participation in study groups

Study groups are an excellent way to exchange information. Just like scientific research, they also deepen academic thinking and the way in which reasoning is constructed.

You can find study groups in all areas and with the most different formats, such as:

• informal groups of students who meet to study and do work;
• groups under the guidance of a specialist teacher to discuss major topics;
• field research groups under the guidance of a professor (students can be their assistants, which counts as an internship or complementary hours ).

Membership in academic directories

The academic directory is a student representation entity, supported by Law No. 7,395/85 . It is a non-profit organization that aims to expand students’ experience at college.

As a formal entity, it has statutes, positions (president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, etc.), a program of activities and facilities to operate. Through the academic directory, it is possible to engage in major projects that benefit students and the community, as well as to strengthen contact with the college itself.

Furthermore, being part of an academic directory is the development of your management skills, teamwork, interpersonal relationships, negotiation, among others ― everything you will need to have in the job market.

Internships within the institution

Another way to gain experience outside of the classroom is through internships at the college itself . These can be voluntary, offer discounts on tuition fees or even provide financial assistance.

Students can do internships in departments of the institution or in some department related to their course. In this way, they gain professional experience by working as apprentices in daily routines, under the supervision of specialist teachers and staff.

Participation in community service sectors

Some courses, such as Law , Dentistry , Medicine , Psychology and Veterinary Medicine , have sectors that provide services to the general public. There, services are offered at low or no cost, and students learn how to provide services under the supervision of their teachers.

Another possibility is entrepreneurship. Some colleges have junior companies, through which it is possible to create projects and start businesses from scratch. There, students learn how to manage a company and develop entrepreneurial skills, such as business vision, financial management, human resources, marketing and institutional communication.

As you can see, taking advantage of college means going beyond the knowledge you learn in the classroom. That’s why it’s important to learn about the curricular supplementation programs and extracurricular activities offered for your course. So, talk to the course coordinators as soon as possible and find out what the ways are for you to join these activities.