by Alyssa Anastasi
Alyssa shares some advice for new students at Illinois.
- There is not one “set path” to achieving goals
It is really easy to compare your own journey to others and think that what you are doing is not enough or not the “right” way to achieve your end goals. Something that I’ve learned over the past 4 years is that there is no right or wrong way to go through college, get an internship or job, and achieve your goals. An eye-opening experience I had was at my first internship where the head of the Data Analytics team was an English major in undergrad! It really showed me that what happens in undergrad doesn’t define exactly what will happen in your life and career. When I came in freshman year, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I started as an Elementary Education major who then switched into Statistics, and then switched to Statistics & Computer Science.
My path is definitely not the typical path of a Stat&CS major, but I have still been able to experience internships and opportunities that I have been passionate about and learned so much from. As long as you are doing things that you feel passionate about and are proud of what you accomplished, there is no right or wrong answer for what you need to do to get the opportunities that you want!
- Build your Network
When I first started college, everyone always told me that building my network was important, but to be honest, I never took it seriously or understood why it was important. Now, as a senior, I understand that building a network allows you to meet more people, learn about opportunities, and even gain opportunities in RSOs or internships that you wouldn’t even know about without them. If you’re feeling nervous and wondering where you even start building your network, I would recommend first meeting people and making friends with students from all years in your major. It can be helpful to know people within your major to take classes with and get recommendations and resources from. Then, I would network with professors, especially ones whose research is an area of interest to you. You can do this by attending office hours, asking questions, and even becoming a course assistant for classes you enjoy. I would also recommend attending career fairs to speak to recruiters and current employees to gain insight into the positions they have.
- Take Advantage of Campus Events and Resources
One of the best things about college is that there are so many events, opportunities, and resources available just for students! College is unique in the sense that everything you need is available within walking distance. On campus, we have access to McKinley for doctors’ appointments, the ARC for the gym, and the second largest academic library in the country, just to name a few! There are also many ways to meet people and explore interests like intramural sports through Campus Recreation, RSOs (academic and hobby related), and part time jobs. In my time at Illinois, I’ve worked at the Ice Arena (I love to ice skate), on tech crew at Krannert Center (I hung lights for plays and musicals), and as a course assistant for STAT 107 (#datascienceduo). There are also so many things that I would recommend experiencing at least once to get the full Illinois experience. Some of the top items from my list are: going to an Illinois football and basketball game, seeing a show at Krannert, attend a barn dance, and see the cherry blossoms at Japan House!
- Go to Office Hours
Office hours are the BEST resource if you are struggling in a class. Office hours are hosted by professors, TAs (typically graduate students), or CAs (typically undergraduate students) who have expertise in the material. They are there to help support your learning and can walk you through homework assignments, midterm review, and anything related to the class! I know it can be scary to go to office hours, but it is always worth it!
- You deserve to be here!
You got into UIUC for a reason – you are deserving and belong here just as much as anyone else at UIUC. No matter what your experiences are, imposter syndrome can affect everyone. Even the people who you think would never experience imposter syndrome, probably do in some way. Through your time here, it is really important to know that you are fully capable of doing anything you want to, from passing a hard class to securing an internship! It is easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing, but the only thing that matters is that you are happy and you feel successful! College is about YOUR experience, and it is so important to remember that!