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| Apr 23, 2021
By Jenny Morris, Executive Director of The Exchange
By now, your students are preparing for summer and a well-earned break from a hectic year. They may already have summer plans in place (e.g. vacations, internships, summer courses), or they may still be unsure of how they’ll spend their time. Either
way, the information below will help you connect your student to resources, events, and advice to get the most out of the next few months.
Here’s how you can help your student if you hear:
“I’m still seeking an internship but probably waited too long.”
For those seeking internships or employment, know that employers are still hiring. Depending on where your student is in the process, they can:
“I’m not planning to complete a summer internship, but I’d like to do something.”
That’s great. People like to discuss shared experiences, and this period in time will be an easy point of discussion for years to come. Students should definitely be practicing self-care and doing activities they enjoy (e.g. reading a book, going
for a walk, journaling, learning a new skill). But there are also ways to maintain their sanity while helping and connecting with others.
Some ideas for students to consider:
- Instead of just taking a walk, bring along a trash bag and clean up the area as you go.
- Call your grandparents or other important people in your life.
- Write and mail a letter to someone who has supported you.
- Donate blood.
- Through Prevail Inc.’s Our Community Reads Together initiative, record yourself reading a short story
to be viewed by children who may not have an adult to read with them.
- Find additional on-site and virtual volunteer opportunities through VolunteerMatch and indy.gov.
- Connect with graduates for personal mentorship and career guidance on Marian University’s new ReuKnighted alumni platform. Learn how to effectively use this resource here.
- Create their Leadership Development Transcript to highlight leadership and involvement.
- Learn about upcoming career development opportunities through Handshake’s Events tab.
“I don’t even know if this major is right for me, let alone what I want to do with it.”
If your student feels unsure of their major or career path, I assure you, they are not alone. We hear from people all the time who are closer to retirement age and are still trying to figure out what they want to be “when they grow up.”
But your student can absolutely take steps to feel more confident about their future. They can:
I’m so burnt out, I don’t think I can handle doing anything productive right now.”
If you hear this from your student, give them some grace. We’ve never before been through a time quite like this. None of us had to manage the uncertainty or stress of classes transitioning between in-person and virtual, having to stay
physically distant from those around us, and dealing with the inevitable technology or connectivity glitches we’ve all become accustomed to. So, go easy on them if they want to catch up on sleep and binge a little Netflix. But once they’re
rested, remind them of the helpful resources detailed above and know that they have big fans back on campus who are ready to support them in whatever way they need.
Jenny Morris is the executive director of The Exchange, a team empowering students and alumni to explore and discern potential career paths and develop key skills critical to their long-term professional success. The Exchange engages with students early and often and connects students to the larger community in the form of on-campus employment, informational interviews, networking, internships, mentoring, and community-engaged learning. The Exchange was recently recognized as a ’20-’21
Career Development College of Distinction.
