How to network on campus

Making connections with classmates, faculty, and staff is an essential part of the college experience for first generation and low income college students. Building and utilizing those connections is what networking is all about--and networking is going to benefit you personally, socially, academically, and professionally.

Hopefully, you have building your own campus network without even knowing it. Even if you haven't, here are # tips on how to network on campus:

Think about your goals. Before you can identify people to network with, you have to think strategically about who would be best to include in your network. To do this, think about what it is you want to accomplish on campus and after graduation. How are your goals social, personal, academic, and professional? Use those goals to influence who you try to network with. And don't think about it like an "either/or" choice because you can pursue multiple networks.

Talk to people. At the beginning of every class, strike up a conversation with your classmates. Go to office hours and talk up your professors. Meet with an advisor and get your questions answered. Ask department advisors or office managers about student groups and faculty advisors. After a few comfortable chats, ask to exchange contact information and be clear about why you're interested in connecting.

Join a group. Seek out student groups in your major department or campus organizations in your interest areas and join them. Join study groups for your classes or start your own. You can even use these tips to start your own campus organization. If the group has a faculty or staff advisor, talk to them too in addition to the other students.

Be active. Just joining groups is not enough, so go to their activities and events too. Participate in any activities that you can (like workshops, conferences, retreats, and community service), especially early on in your involvement. Really, having a good time and sharing common experiences are both ways to developing strong networks.

Step up. After you have been in campus groups for a while and feel comfortable, consider volunteering for a leadership role like leading a committee, planning an event, or being an officer. You'll find that stepping up to more responsibility within a group will help you build even stronger connections in your network.

Keep in touch. With all the people you are meeting, don't let them forget about you if you are not in regular contact. Send them the occasional email or text message to let them know you are still interested in staying connected to them.  If you come across something you think they might like (like an activity, article, or book), let them know about it.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.