Your Second Year
Congratulations! You have completed your freshman year at Georgia Southern University! Like many of your peers you may be thinking “now what?” Your second year of college can feel a bit like being in a state of limbo. You are no longer a freshman, but you haven’t quite progressed into major specific and upper level coursework. You may be living off-campus, but you are still surrounded by college students. You’ve made a lot of new friends, but perhaps you are still seeking a cohort of peers pursuing similar interests and goals.
Your sophomore year studies will continue to focus on foundational and prerequisite courses for your degree program. You may also begin taking classes specific to your major and have opportunity to begin building connections with your major faculty. During your sophomore year you will take CORE 2000 Core Capstone. In this course students will make connections among their core curriculum, their career goals, and their external activities, and articulate how these connections inform their understanding of their place in the world.
There are numerous resources and services to help set you up for success and maximize your first year experience. One way to achieve this is by working toward gaining competencies in areas fundamental to your academic, personal, and professional growth.
Student Competencies: Goals for Second-Year Students
Academic Success
- Begin developing a graduation plan with your academic advisor
- Join a student organization related to your program of study
- Learn more about undergraduate research opportunities and gain hands-on experience in your field of study
- Get to know your major faculty by attending office hours
- Seek opportunities to maximize your summers through summer classes, internships, co-ops, study abroad, and/or gaining volunteer and shadowing hours
Personal Growth
- Seek out leadership opportunities through your student organizations and the Office of Leadership & Community Engagement
- Attend a Student Government Association meeting
- Identify your personal support team (i.e. advisors, mentors, peers, family, etc.)
- Learn about peer mentoring opportunities
Health & Wellness
- Create and maintain healthy habits to promote health, reduce stress, and improve cognitive, physical, and emotional wellbeing
- Learn wellness strategies for improving sleep while in college
- Start or join a walking/running club
- Participate in Mindful Yoga, Adulting 101, Worry Free Wednesdays, and other workshops offered by the Counseling Center and Student Wellness & Health Promotion
Financial Wellness
- Learn effective money management and personal finance strategies through the Office of Financial Literacy
- Create a personal budget and stick to it!
- Apply for financial aid and research scholarship opportunities
- Discover student employment opportunities both on and off campus
Career Development
- Job shadow! Spend time on the job with a person in your future career.
- Create an effective résumé, have it critiqued by an OCPD staff member, and upload your résumé to Handshake.
- Participate in workshops, mock interviews, and other programs sponsored by the OCPD.
- Attend employer information sessions, networking events, or other career fairs to seek internships, co-ops, part-time work, and summer jobs.
- Seek volunteer opportunities to gain valuable experience.
- Get international exposure by participating in a study abroad or international alternative break program.
- Clean up your social media profiles.
Inclusive Excellence
- Attend Inclusive Excellence events and workshops
- Participate in Courageous Conversations or Lunch-n-Learn opportunities
- Learn more about the numerous celebrations and events hosted by the Office of Multicultural Affairs
For event more resources and opportunities explore some of our campus partners listed below.
Last updated: 7/19/2021