UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

ADVICE FOR SECOND YEAR STUDENTS

Explore, Engage, Create a Personal Vision

By your second year, you have transcended the transitions to campus life and you are ready to explore who you are and how you fit into the university. Where are you going? Where do you want to go? How can we help you to get there? This is the time when you will most likely be declaring a major. You can explore the possibilities of your future and engage yourself in opportunities that will help lead you towards your long term goals.

During your second year, you are eligible for some fellowships, including Foreign Affairs Fellowships, Goldwater Fellowships, National Security Education Program (NSEP) Scholarships Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarships, and Society of Women Engineers. You should also start preparation of applications for other fellowships in your third year. Review the opportunities listed HERE

Gather information and decide on a foreign study experience for your third year. If you cannot do a whole year or regular semester, consider a summer program. You can visit the Junior Year Abroad (JYA) Office in Undergraduate Studies (Sears 357) to see what opportunities are available. Your Student Handbook also lists contacts in each department who can assist you in finding international study and research opportunities that might provide a foundation for an unusual senior thesis or internship. As you are planning for study abroad in you junior year investigate scholarships that provide financial assistance, for example, the Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarships.

This is the year that you should assume more leadership roles in extra-curricular activities. Give thought to new ventures that organizations you belong to could be doing, and be the person to get them started.

Resist the temptation to triple major and have 2 minors. Having too many majors and minors may leave you with too little time or room for imaginative projects and depth of academic preparation that lead to many of the scholarships and fellowships.