{"id":9388,"date":"2018-09-27T09:00:37","date_gmt":"2018-09-27T13:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/?p=9388"},"modified":"2018-09-27T08:46:35","modified_gmt":"2018-09-27T12:46:35","slug":"finishing-strong-making-the-most-of-senior-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/2018\/09\/27\/finishing-strong-making-the-most-of-senior-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Finishing Strong: Making the Most of Senior Year"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Courtesy of pixabay.com<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This piece is part of the new series,\u00a0New Pro? No Problem: The PRSA New Professional Guide to Success.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve been studying long and hard and you\u2019ve finally made it to your last year of college. You\u2019re on the cusp of the next chapter of your young life when it hits you: Senioritis. Symptoms include exhaustion, coffee dependency and procrastination. Don\u2019t worry\u2014the PRSA New Professionals Section has the cure. Here are some tips to help you avoid Senioritis and make the most of senior year.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Don\u2019t check out, check in.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Now is the perfect time to start strengthening relationships with your network. Check in with professionals you have connected with during your time as a student. Write thank you notes to those who helped you along the way. Don\u2019t wait until the last minute to reach out to someone and start asking for favors. Developing a genuine relationship with these people now will make your interactions more authentic. When it comes time to request recommendations or ask for an informational interview, they will be far more likely to be a resource to you.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Raise your hand.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      While you want to allow younger students to develop their leadership skills and take on responsibility, don\u2019t hesitate to raise your hand and volunteer to help. Join a committee. Offer to be an advisor on a project. Pay it forward and be a mentor.<\/p>\n

      Sarah Dougherty, a 2017 graduate of the University of Alabama, former PRSSA National Committee member and current financial services PR associate, said she found motivation by getting to know younger students through peer mentorship programs.<\/p>\n

      \u201cTheir eagerness to get involved, to start applying for internships and to establish the foundation of their education and careers reminded me of how much growth happens from freshman orientation through senior year,\u201d Dougherty said. \u201cIt was a great reminder to keep working hard and stay invested on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Develop a routine that increases productivity.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Sticking to a routine can make balancing school, work and fun more manageable. Identifying the time of day when you\u2019re most productive is a good way to start. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Then, consider what environment allows you to focus. Do you prefer a quiet setting or study groups? It\u2019s all about being strategic with your time and setting yourself up for success.<\/p>\n

        \u201cIt\u2019s easy to get caught up in different social events and activities on top of schoolwork, PRSSA responsibilities and student-run firm work,\u201d Dougherty said. \u201cTry to establish your own version of office hours so that you can continue to excel in your coursework and extracurriculars during the job search and\u00a0<\/em>enjoy the unique senior year experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

        Once you have found a routine that works for you, set goals, make to-do lists and prioritize your tasks. Before you know it, you\u2019ll have an empty checklist and be walking across the graduation stage and into your career.<\/p>\n

        \u201cLook at how far you\u2019ve come since freshman year and consider where you\u2019d like to see yourself in the near future,\u201d Dougherty said. \u201cBeing on cruise control senior year won\u2019t get you there.\u201d<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Try something new.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          If you need to a little extra motivation or just need to shake up your schedule, try something new. Sometimes a new challenge or perspective can awaken creativity and enhance your education. This can be as simple as taking a course outside of your major. Dougherty said she was glad she added classes like Personal Finance and Family Dynamics to her senior schedule.<\/p>\n

          \u201cPersonal finance provided an understanding of how to approach paying rent, building a budget, growing credit, setting up a 401(k) and more. That knowledge became vital during the job search, offer negotiation and post-grad move to a new city,\u201d Dougherty said. \u201cFamily Dynamics helped me better understand and empathize with different perspectives and personalities and challenged me to think more critically.\u201d<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Have fun!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            An important part of making the most of your senior year is having fun! Time flies and you should enjoy this final leg of your educational journey.<\/p>\n

            \u201cDon\u2019t wish it away! It\u2019s easy to be in a rush to finish projects, graduate and start working,\u201d Dougherty said. \u201cTry to embrace and enjoy the relationships you\u2019ve built, organizations you\u2019re a part of and the flexibility of being a student.\u201d<\/p>\n

            –<\/p>\n

            Emma Finkbeiner is a native Yooper and alumna of Northern Michigan University with a bachelor\u2019s degree in public relations and journalism. She also recently received her master\u2019s degree in public relations and advertising from DePaul University.\u00a0She is currently the PRSSA liaison for the PRSA New Professionals Section and a member of Champions for PRSSA. She does sports marketing in Chicago.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            This piece is part of the new series,\u00a0New Pro? No Problem: The PRSA New Professional Guide to Success. You\u2019ve been studying long and hard and you\u2019ve finally made it to your last year of college. You\u2019re on the cusp of the next chapter of your young life when it hits you: Senioritis. Symptoms include exhaustion, coffee dependency and procrastination. Don\u2019t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":9413,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2892,14],"tags":[76,335,2225,15,491,44,32],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9388"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9388"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9388\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9414,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9388\/revisions\/9414"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9413"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}