5 People to Get to Know to Succeed in College

In life, it’s not only what you know but who you know that can make you a success. College, as you might expect, is much the same way. If you want to make sure that you’re able to get the most out of your college experience, you’ll want to get to know the following five people.

Your Classmates

It’s always a good idea to get to know your own classmates. The social aspect of college is important, of course, but you still need to know these people even if you are taking your classes online. If you can get to know your classmates, you’ll have people who can help to catch you up if you miss a class or who can remind you about homework assignments if you have missed something. More importantly, getting to know your classmates can help you to make the kind of connections that can matter for your career once you graduate college.

Your Professors

There are a number of reasons why getting to know your professor is a good idea. At a basic level, it will help you to better learn what your professors want from you in class. It will also show your professor that you care about your work, which will help if your grade starts to drop or if you need a deadline extension. If your goal is to pursue an advanced degree or to take hard-to-enter classes later, you may also need to get to know your professor in order to get the recommendations you need later down the line.

Your Advisor

Your academic advisor can be one of your most important resources while you are in school. Most people meet with this advisor at least once before graduation, but it’s a good idea to get to know this person a little better. Not only will this help you when you have questions about your classes, but it can help you to strike up an academic relationship that will help you to succeed in school. Make sure to meet with your advisor at least once a quarter if only to make sure that you are still on the right track to graduate.

Financial Aid Officers

The people in your financial aid office are going to play a huge role in your ability to get through the various hoops required to pay for school. You’ll want to know someone in this office not just so that you can deal with deadlines and payments, but so that you can learn more about scholarships and ultimately about ways to come out of college with less debt. It’s not a bad idea to get a meeting with financial aid early on and to check in whenever you have questions that really need to be answered.

An Administrator

Finally, try to get to know someone who is in the school’s administration. Whether it’s the dean of your own school or someone in his or her office, it never hurts to be on a first-name basis with someone who makes the real decisions. This is a great way to get a good recommendation for a job when you get out, as well as to handle any major problems while you are still in school.

Don’t spend college ignoring the people around you. Make sure to get the know the people who can have an impact on your academic career and on your future. If you are willing to go outside of your comfort zone, you’ll be able to make the connections that will matter while you are in school.