Thoughts on Thursday: Introductions

As a final installment to our alliteratively-titled daily features, we present to you Thoughts on Thursday. This section will feature helpful tips to staying up on classwork, assignments, and life as a college student. In addition, we hope to provide some professional development tips because it is never to early to start thinking about the future.

One of the best ways to start the semester off right is introductions. You may think something as simple as this wouldn't accomplish much, but in reality, it can go a very long way. Some people you may want to introduce yourself to include:

• Fellow Students in your Classes - Chances are, you will see them again.
• Professors - Professors love to meet their students and put a face to the name. Showing initiative can pay off in a big way.
• The Honors College Administration and Faculty - These people will be invaluable to you during your college career and beyond.
• Upperclassmen - Who better to talk about anything related to college than the people who have just been through it.

All of these people can be a resource to you, and if you are not taking advantage of them, you will have a much tougher time in college.

While introducing yourself to a fellow student is fairly simple, it can be scary approaching a professor or other faculty member for the first time. Just remember, they are here to aid you. Have something interesting to say, but do not overstay your welcome. Be privy to the fact that professors are very busy, and there is almost always someone else waiting to talk to them as well. When it comes down to it, an introduction is not for you to tell your life story; it's just a way to say, "Hey, I'm glad to be in your class and looking forward to a good semester."

An the end of the day, an introduction might not get you anywhere, but it could go a long way. In this day and age, networking is one of the most important things you can do to increase your chances of getting a job right out of college. Getting to know professors, upperclassmen, faculty, and other students could pay dividends later on when you are competing with 50 other candidates for a single job.

Be sure to check in each week for more tips to navigating through this crazy part of life known as college.