Sorry to tell you this, but you’re an adult now. Being in school does not take away from that fact. And, yes, this means you need to start acting like one. College acts as a transitional space to go from kid to adult, meaning you need to treat school like a professional setting as well. While I may have touched upon these ideas in previous articles, I wanted to consolidate what I have learned in my time in college and through my internships.
Classes
One of the things that people need to remember is that classes and homework are still something you need to take seriously. Someone is paying for you to attend school, be it yourself, your parents, or anybody funding your scholarships, so you should be treating it as such. Skipping classes is up to your discretion, but attendance and participation are key things that will still apply in the workforce. If you don’t show up to your job, especially with zero notice, you are just one step closer to being fired. It may not seem that it’s that serious, but showing up and showing that you care benefits YOU.
Next, of course, is your homework. Homework, at least in my courses, is never just busywork. It’s practice, so you will be able to better understand the content of the course. Practice problems, projects, and research all teach you how to better utilize your developing skills and knowledge. Using artificial intelligence to do your work for you is not going to do any of those things. Take what you’re assigned seriously.
Now, we all know the pain of working on group projects. This is still a common thing post-college. You will be working your entire life with other people, some of whom won’t be pulling their weight equally. The best you can do is ensure that you’re doing your part. We can’t control others, but their actions will lead to consequences in the future, even if you can’t see them right away. Of course, it’s crucial that you advocate for yourself in these group settings. If someone isn’t doing their work, don’t just wait or let your group fail. Tell the professor what’s up and explain your concerns. It may not always lead to anything, but learning to speak up when there are injustices is a crucial skill.
As a former gifted kid, the phrase “C’s get degrees” continues to haunt me. While I can’t nag you about getting straight A’s, we can tell when you are or aren’t trying based on the work you show and your attendance. And as a person who is PAYING to be here, you should at least give it your best shot. When it comes to internships and grad school, your grades do matter. Just consider how just barely passing does not look good to future employers.
Organizations
Being in a student organization, whether it’s a professional organization like American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) or a silly little club like Cosplay Club (I can say that, I’m the president, and we are, indeed, silly), you are still representing your organization. None of us should be making decisions that affect the reputation of our organization. I can identify three or four organizations that I was hesitant to join simply because of the students in them that I knew through my classes or other extracurriculars.
On the other hand, treating people within your organization differently due to your dislike of them is also unacceptable. Especially if you’re an organization leader, you should be able to drop your bias against people to help them. If you’re unable to do that, you should reconsider being a leader. Being able to work with people that you dislike is something you’re going to experience in the future; you need to be able to start practicing now (this applies to work and classes, too).
Work
While I can’t fully explain how being in the workforce works at this moment, I’m keenly aware of how your behavior affects how your school and workplace are viewed. I’ve questioned the ethics and morals of various places based on how their associated people act in the wild. When I worked as a Junior Hawk (though this is a volunteer position), it was emphasized that we are representing our school and community, often being the first impression when it comes to giving tours and offering assistance. You definitely can’t make everyone happy, but working a little harder to maintain the peace is going to get you a long way.
Like I mentioned already, being able to work without bias is crucial (looking at you, teaching assistants and tech support). Racism, sexism, and any other -ism or -phobia are NOT appropriate for the work setting. The golden rule should always apply – treat others the way you want to be treated. I may not fully believe in karma, but I do believe that your behavior will reflect back to you eventually.
Respect, however, does go both ways, so make sure that you don’t let yourself be taken advantage of, either. Communicate when something seems unfair, but make sure you’re looking at it from a different perspective before addressing it. And, of course, ensure that you are communicating professionally. “Whining” will get you nowhere. “Threatening” will definitely not be tolerated. Know what you’re going to say before you say it. If you’re not deemed a crucial part of the team, you’re putting your employment at risk when you address things using the wrong tone.
All in all, just remember that you’re here by choice (as much as you may believe otherwise), and that many people would do anything to be in your place. It’s a privilege to be in school, and it’s a great opportunity to learn how to (how do the millennials say it…) “adult” before you’re thrown out into the deep end that is employment.