Written by Emmett Steele '22 and Juan Zambrano '22
Starting your college journey is exciting and fulfilling, and it can also be a little intimidating if you don’t know what to expect. Fortunately, you’re not alone – almost every student has felt nervous about going to school, and they all found ways to enjoy and make the most of their college journey once it started.
Juan Zambrano, 2022 graduate from the Journalism program at Mohawk college, has chosen to share the advice and methods he found worked best to turn his college classroom into a second home.
1. Make friends
“Get to know your classmates,” says Juan. “One does not survive post-secondary alone. You’re in this together and can lend each other a hand, sometimes in unexpected ways.”
While it’s important to create a social network to fall back on, Juan also believes there is value in creating a relationship with your professors.
2. Create industry connections
“Get to know your professors and reach out to them when necessary,” says Juan. “Yes, they encourage you to be independent and take responsibility for your studies. But they’re not above lending a hand if you ask for it, within reasonable time.”
Students come to class to develop their skills but working on developing confidence can often be just as valuable.
3. Practice humility
“Be humble and acknowledge you have a lot to learn,” says Juan. “But also remember you’re here of your own value. Give yourself and your classmates credit when you succeed, just don’t let it go to your head.”
4. Stay true to your passion
Most importantly, Juan encourages not to forget the passion that drove you to study in the first place.
“Make sure you’re in your program for you,” says Juan. “Learn something you’re passionate about and can make a career out of. Don’t forget to have fun along the way.”
Not sure what type of career you could be passionate about? Take the Career Match Quiz and find out!
