Welcome back, Hawks!
If there’s one question I hear more than any other this time of year, it’s some version of: “What should I be doing?” Freshmen ask it because everything is new and a little overwhelming. Seniors ask it because graduation suddenly feels close and the clock feels loud. Sophomores and juniors ask it because they’re caught in the middle, wondering if they’re “behind.”
Here’s the truth: there’s no single right answer, because the right answer depends on you. But before we get into what you should be doing at each stage, I want to start somewhere else, with a question I think matters more.
Before “What Should I Be Doing,” Ask “What Do I Want to Be Doing?”
It’s tempting to jump straight into checklists. But a checklist without direction just becomes another source of stress. So before you do anything else this semester, take a few minutes, on your own, with a friend, or with your career counselor — and think through these questions:
- What are your goals for this semester? Not the whole four years. Just this semester.
- What do you think you should be doing, before anyone else tells you?
- What are the things you really don’t want to do, and why? (This one matters more than people realize. Knowing what drains you is just as useful as knowing what excites you.)
- Do you know who is here to help you make the most of your experience and reach your goals?
If you can answer even one of these honestly, you’re ahead of where most students start the semester.
A Quick Word on Where to Start, By Year
If you’re a freshman: This year isn’t about having it figured out. It’s about exposure, to people, ideas, clubs, and possibilities you didn’t know existed. Say yes to things. Introduce yourself to people. Start noticing what pulls your interest and what doesn’t.
If you’re a sophomore: This is a good year to start testing. Try an internship search, a leadership role in a club, a conversation with a professor about research or opportunities in their field. You’re not committing to anything forever, you’re gathering information about yourself.
If you’re a junior: Things start to sharpen here. This is often the year for internships, deeper networking, and starting to build a professional presence, a resume that reflects real experience, a LinkedIn profile that looks like you, not a placeholder.
If you’re a senior: This year is about translation, taking everything you’ve learned and done and turning it into a clear story you can tell an employer, a graduate program, or yourself. It’s also the year to lean hardest on the people around you, because you don’t have to build that story alone.
Wherever you fall, the theme is the same: meet yourself where you are, not where you think you “should” be by now.
You Don’t Have to Solve Everything in Week One
I want to say this clearly, because I think it gets lost every fall: you do not need to have a plan for the whole year by next week.
Start slow. Start small. Start with one actionable step, not ten.
Maybe that step is simply a conversation with your career counselor, not even about a plan, but about what’s actually on your mind. Sometimes the most useful conversation isn’t about your five-year plan; it’s about what’s stressing you out right now. That’s a completely valid place to start, and honestly, it’s often the most important place to start.
Not Sure Where to Begin? Look Back at Your Summer
If you’re staring at a blank page wondering what your “first step” should even be, look backward before you look forward. Ask yourself: did I do anything this summer I could build on?
You might be surprised what counts:
- A job, internship, or volunteer role you could turn into a LinkedIn post
- A resume that hasn’t been updated to reflect what you just did
- An employer, supervisor, or mentor you never got around to thanking
- A side project you finished but haven’t shown anyone
- A portfolio piece sitting on your laptop that could go live
None of these require a grand plan. They just require picking one and doing it.
Let’s Have a Great Year, Strategically
My hope for this blog is simple: twice a week, I want to give you something practical, a guide, a nudge, or a perspective you may not have considered, so you’re never wondering what you should be focusing on next.
But it starts here, with you. Start slow. Start strategic. Start with one honest conversation about what you want, what you’re worried about, and who’s in your corner to help you get there.
We’ve got a whole year ahead. Let’s make it an intentional one.
Have a question you’d like answered in a future post? Reach out to the Career Center and Professional Development team, that’s exactly what we’re here for.
