neversawthestranger

[neversawthestranger]

I feel that studytok has made it seem like in order to get into college, you need to have done a million internships within whatever major you’re interested in.

However, as someone who has done both four years in the classroom and a handful of service jobs, colleges were more interested in the skills developed from my food service experiences.

This is because I had to learn things like leadership, problem-solving, punctuality, and self-worth. I can share my experiences at both and how to get the most out of both for your resume, but the skills I learned working at Jersey Mike’s for one summer were arguably more valuable than the first two years of classroom experience for me.

This does not mean that you shouldn’t look for opportunities anywhere!!!! Instead, take everything you get as an opportunity, because it is, to show not only what you can do but what you can learn.

I was incredibly shy when I started working food service and having to talk to hundreds of strangers in a day definitely changed that.

Anything and everything can be valuable towards your application if the right amount of effort goes in. Jobs/experiences like customer service jobs, unpaid internships, volunteer work, etc. are what get most people to the places they want to be.

[neversawthestranger]

My most favorite tip for deciding where to go to college or what major is best for you is to reach out to colleges and schedule a shadow day.

It’s actually a very simple process and universities love helping potential students!

Usually, they’ll pair you with one or two college students in the major you’re looking for and you’ll spend a day with them to get a feel for what it could be like for you.

I found it incredibly helpful to see the environment of the musical spaces that interested me and meet my future professors early! (I’ll talk about this in another post, but always talk with professors if you can)

When I scheduled mine, I reached out to the Fine Arts Department at my now university and asked if I would be able to see a day in the life of a college student who was an Instrumental Education major and played flute as their primary.

Here’s the draft of my email with the blanks:

To: departmentofinterestedmajor@university.edu

From: you

Subject: Student Observation at [university]

Hello [insert department head]

My name is [name] and I am a [insert year of schooling] at [name of high school] and I am interested in pursuing a degree in [major] at [university].

I would love to be able to see a day in the life of students also pursuing [major] and was wondering if I would be able to shadow someone?

[This is the section that I included specifics like my instrument and aspirations while at college]

I am specifically interested in [interest] and would love to see what [university] has to offer for it.

Let me know with any potential opportunities to explore more of [university] and thank you for your time,

[name]

From there, you respond with whatever they offer you! Two things I would recommend are (1) respond in a timely manner: it shows commitment and genuine interest and (2) show your gratitude!: if the experience day goes well, this could be a way many people remember you.

If you’re able to do the shadow day,

-Try to get the contact information from the students you are placed with

- Try to get the contact information of an advisor or someone you can email or call with questions about specifics of the major, classes, etc.

- Thank every professor you meet. You could be their student one day!

- Interact with everyone who approaches you and try to participate within the small group discussions to get a feel for what it could be like as a college student

I can do another post if anyone is interested as a guide to how to spend/ plan for your shadow day, but I feel this is a good start for now!

[neversawthestranger]

There’s this misconception found in academic spaces where you have achieved great success when you are the most educated person in the room.

I’ve found the most success has come from when I expose my brain and it’s lack of knowledge and let the world continuously teach me a new perspective.

And the beautiful thing about this is that I continue to learn even as the teacher in a classroom.

I’m not changing my opinion day after day but simply understanding why we are all so interesting for God to watch interact.

[neversawthestranger]

Hey!

I figured I would create an introduction of sorts for people to hopefully refer back to if my posts become more popular.

My name is Chloe and I am entering my freshman year of college as a Music Education major with an Instrumental Emphasis!

All throughout high school, I worked very hard to add as much value to my high school diploma as possible and would consider myself to be a very successful graduate.

During those four years, I was always searching for spaces where they would give it to me straight. Where they weren’t trying to sell me a product or promote an app but were going to tell me the best way to maximize my potential.

That’s now what I’m doing! I love tumblr and wanted to create a space where I share my best academic tips and also occasionally share some of my favorite things.

My credibility, or ethos if you will, is that I was an honors student all of my life but also managed to work two separate jobs, get four years of teaching experience in, receive 16 college credits, get certified to work in early education, and play in a professional orchestra! There’s so much more on my resume but I promise, it’s not going to be all the flashy stuff.

I would argue that most of my credibility comes from the hard times I endured to maintain everything and the losses that inevitably did happen. (Also, I wasn’t a valedictorian, but my boyfriend was, so I have a lot of information on that as well)

This was a very long introduction post, so my greatest apologies. However, I do truly hope that I can help at least one person out there from burn-out and self-deprecation and instead create some inspiration and passion towards the future.

Thanks for being here 💚

-Chloe