Do they know you?

The saying goes, "It is not what you know, but who you know." (In my experience, this saying is a little too sly, for both who you know and what you know matters.) You must ask yourself the question: do they know you?

As a college student, "they" includes fellow students, instructors, support staff, facilities staff, administrators (such as Directors, Deans, and the President), prospective employers, civic leaders...the list goes on and on.

I will be the first to admit that I have long despised the high praise assigned to the concept of networking. As a person that tends toward introversion, I am perfectly content not knowing tons and tons of people; it is exhausting and - to be honest - not always that interesting. As a rationalist, it is frustrating to think that  "It is not what you know, but who you know." How are you supposed to be effective if you don't know what you are doing?

Nevertheless, I have undergone a change of heart - of sorts - through some of my personal and career experiences of late (read more on my post Helmets). Like it or not, it does matter who you know and networking is important.

If it helps, think of it as friendraising. We all like having friends. Friends share with us. They provide honest feedback. They introduce us to other friends.They make even the most unexciting of activities enjoyable. Friends go out of their way to help us.

For example, does each of your instructors know your name? Do they know your career goals? Do they know a little bit about your day to day life? Because if they do, they can guide your learning better and point you in the direction of good opportunities. And if "life happens," you will have someone in your corner that wants to see you succeed in class nevertheless.

So go introduce yourself to your instructors after class during the first week of school. Stop by during office hours to ask questions about an assignment. Ask them advice for how to be successful in the course. Ask them why they choose the career of teaching. Say "Hi Mr. So and So" when you see them in the hallway. Shoot the breeze.

If you are like me and not necessarily a born chit-chatterer and tend to run out of things to talk about fairly quickly, remember this: people universally appreciate the chance to tell someone about their passions and interests and experiences. Most people also like to give advice and share their perspectives.

What do you think about that?

Cool Advice from Imane: Using TRIO

TRIO SSS provides many great resources and opportunities to build your student support network. Here are some tips and strategies for your success!

The first thing I would like to advise you on is to apply for as many scholarships as you can, I never had to pay a penny for my college; I actually earned money from being a student at the Community College of Denver and at the University of Colorado Denver. You have your peer mentor as well as your advisors to assist you with applying for scholarships. CCD provides a great variety of scholarships that you may apply for.

If you have financial aid questions and you are frustrated and cannot figure out what went wrong, we are here. Let us explain what’s going on and allow us to figure out how to solve what’s needed together.

You do not know how to register on your own? We are here to register you, but also to teach you how to do it on your own so you can become independent and an expert!

Books are too expensive and you have not received your book advance yet? We have a list of resources where you might be able to get books from, starting with CCD student life lending library that opens to CCD students a week before school starts,  online resources, borrow books from your friends or classmates, rent books, etc.

Apply for FAFSA starting January 31st to be able to get the maximum amount of grants. It’s based on first come first serve basis. In addition to that, the financial aid office will also require you to provide more documentation for verification purposes.  Again, we are here to check your financial aid status and see what is still requested or missing, we will be happy to provide you the forms and assist you with filling them out.

Thinking about transferring? Well we can help you with that too. You have high qualified advisors to ensure you take the correct courses for transfer. We will also teach you how to use Degree Check to be able to determine what classes to take or not take on your own. Worried that you will not have the same support once you transfer? We will search if there is a TRIO program that can support you at the transfer school. In addition, you will also have opportunities to visit different campuses; you can go in a tour, visit the campus, and the area. Come on, no one can beat that!

Give a chance for your advisor to get to know you personally, not only academically; you will be the first one to your advisor thinks of when opportunities arise.

Address any difficulties that come up as soon as possible.

If you are having some trouble with MAT, BIO, ENG, et cetera, tell us what course you are having nightmares about, and we will find a way to help you. And please seek for tutors even though you have an A or a B in the class; you want to make sure to keep that grade until the end of the semester.

There are a variety of financial, medical, and educational resources that we can locate for you to assist you with whatever you might need.

Be eager to ask questions, to ask for your help. No one knows everything. (Not even me… lol!)

Do your extracurricular activities, it helps you learn and release your stress. Just like killing two birds with one stone.

Meet with your peer mentor, they have already been through what you are going through right now. They have recently walked through similar paths or steps you are walking through now. Therefore, it’s your chance to abuse them in a good way.

Be a familiar face at the TRIO office because you will eventually be the favorite. We will make sure to treat you like a star.

Join school clubs if you are able to manage your time. It’s a great way to be involved in your school and your community.

You are provided with great resources at TRIO, utilize them.

I ensure you that TRIO SSS staff will walk the extra miles and do whatever is in their power to help you succeed. Just ask and we will be there for you J.

Develop a Student Support Network

Develop a student support network

Your success as a student is ultimately up to you. That does not mean, however, that you need to go it alone.

According to Skip Downing, "Successful students create a support network, using an interactive, team approach to success."

Who can help you write a resume? Where can you go for an immunization? What if you are falling behind in a class?

There are people and programs all around campus to support your efforts: instructors, classmates, academic advisors, educational case managers, peer mentors, administrators, student support services and many others.

Off campus you can find help from family and friends, health professionals, social workers, employers, government agencies, financial aid advisors and much more.

As Oprah states, "Surround yourself with people that are going to lift you higher." Will you take the initiative to connect with these people, programs and resources? Go see an academic advisor or educational case manager today to get started!