Pranav Thamballapalle
Class of 2028, Political Science
Pre-Law Advisory Council Class of 2028 Representative
“As an undergraduate student, I have fostered many connections with my professors, legal professionals, and people who are generally on the same career path as me. I attended office hours with professors who taught the classes that I was taking. I tried to identify what topics they were interested in, either through their publications or what they conveyed in class. While I didn’t explicitly ask anyone to be my mentor, over time, through repeated interactions, 2 of my professors became my mentors. In regard to my connections with legal professionals and people on my same path, I connected with them through LinkedIn and often scheduled Zoom chats with them to get insight.
These connections have been vital for professional and academic opportunities. My academic connections, in particular, have allowed me to participate in research and apply for scholarship opportunities. My academic as well as my professional connections also served an important role in my ability to get an internship and volunteer work, either by acting as a reference or by writing a recommendation letter for me.
I would advise students not to feel awkward or nervous about fostering a connection. Almost everyone I have connected with was eager to connect and reach out, as they were, at some point, in the same position. Even if it doesn’t work out, there’s no drawback to trying.
If I could go back in time, instead of trying to connect with a bunch of different people, I would try to limit my efforts to only a few individuals. This is because making meaningful connections takes a long time, and it’s difficult to do so when you’re connecting with many people.”
Lev Linderman
Class of 2029, Biology
Pre-Law Advisory Council Class of 2029 Representative
“I have made connections with a handful of my professors. I have met with my TAs at their office hours, as well. Some of them consist of my political science TAs, as well as my molecular and cellular biology TAs. I attended office hours with these TAs, and I was also interested in advice on course recommendations. I asked a biology professor for advice on what to do with my class schedule and how to make it work best for me. Just having a meeting with a professor in a 600+ student class can make you stand out a ton.
I have not yet needed a letter of recommendation from a professor from college, but in high school, I received letters of recommendation from three different teachers and my basketball coach. I wrote an email to send out to each person and explained why I enjoyed their class and the connection that we had made, hoping to continue what I did in their class at the college level. Each person was happy to write my letter of recommendation.
I think it can be hard to step outside your comfort zone and ask a professor for help or even just talk to them in order to make a connection. It can definitely be intimidating, but if you can get past that point, it could end up being so beneficial to your future. You never know how someone could end up helping you in certain ways.
If I had to change anything, I think I should have made a bigger effort in the first semester to talk to my professors. I believe I was stuck in the adjustment from high school to college, and I did not think about it that much, but I like how this semester I have really tried to step outside of my comfort zone and make those connections with professors and TAs.”
Julia Trevino
Class of 2027, Information Sciences
Pre-Law Advisory Council Class of 2027 Representative
“As an undergraduate student, I have created professional connections with practicing attorneys, current law students, and other industry professionals. I have also built academic connections with faculty and graduate students.
I created my academic connections by getting involved in a range of different activities, including RSOs, research, and coursework, which naturally led to both passive and direct engagement with those individuals. I built my professional connections through internships, volunteer work, and coffee chats.
My connections have helped me with internship opportunities, letters of recommendation, mentorship, and gaining industry insight in the areas I am interested in. I maintained close communication and collaboration with these connections to the point where I felt more than comfortable asking them for a letter of recommendation. I also reminded myself that, based on what I had accomplished, they would likely be more than happy to write one for me. Honestly, just asking got me the best results. The worst they can say is no.
I told myself that it was really sink-or-swim. If you want to get to point B from point A, you have to be willing to do things you may have never done before. That can feel uncomfortable, but that discomfort is often part of growth. Do not sell yourself short, and do not assume people will think negatively of you for reaching out. Building those connections starts with being willing to put yourself out there.
If I could go back in time and change something about my journey, I would have started fostering connections as a freshman instead of a sophomore and begun developing my skills earlier. For the longest time, I was scared to reach out because I was worried about being judged or coming across as pushy, but then I realized that the worst that could happen is that they simply do not respond. Even then, it is probably because they are busy, not because they are judging you for reaching out. I also would have told myself to apply to as many opportunities as possible, because putting yourself out there increases your chances and helps you learn from the process.”
Thank you to our student contributors!
For more information about creating meaningful professional connections, visit these resources:
Summer Series: Networking and Outreach | Pre-Law Advising Services
Letters of Recommendation Guide | Pre-Law Advising Services
Building a Professional Network | UIUC Career Center