Who are the first names that pop to mind when you think of famous celebrities? Probably folks who are trending on twitter, People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People in the World, Forbes’ Richest People, or Times’ Person of the Year.
I suspect we don’t think of the celebrities at college. Yes, there are a few folks that you’re going to get to know well (a coach or your classmates). What you didn’t know is that there are eight people on campus that are celebrities in their own right, that I’m guessing no one has told you about.
The following list of campus celebrities is almost certainly guaranteed to never make People’s, Time’s or Forbes’ lists, but it will probably save you hours of study time, improve your grades, help you graduate on time and set you up for a new job.
1) Librarians –
Today’s librarians are lean, mean, research machines. They know more about where to find materials on topics spread across hundreds of databases and buried so far down in the internet that even Indiana Jones would go home empty-handed.
Some campuses have one librarian, some have dozens. In your first term, go to the library website (or just walk over to that pretty brick building) and make an appointment with a research librarian who is most closely associated with your area of study. This initial meeting is important, but don’t hesitate to touch base with the librarian as you move through your classes or have research questions.
When you meet with your librarian for the first time, explain your area of interest and ask:
- What are the resources that I’m most likely to use when I’m studying this?
- What is the best advice you have for students when it comes to studying this?
- Who is the best person in the library for me to contact when I have questions about researching in this area?
2) Career Counselors –
one of the biggest mistakes students make is wandering into the campus Career Center…during their last semester of college. Sure, folks in the career center will be happy to help you, but they’ll all be thinking “I could almost guarantee you’d have a job right now if you’d have met me in your first year!”
Most colleges have a career or vocational center whose sole purpose is to prepare you to use your education to build a successful life after you graduate. They will help you with resume and cover letters, finding internships, practicing interviews, and thinking through your life goals. Sometime in your first year, make an online appointment or go to your career center and meet with a career advisor.
If you remember nothing else about the career center, remember this…the sooner you go, the more valuable it will be. Some of the most important career-building tools take time to create (like participating in internships, conducting informational interviews and doing really thoughtful job hunting). If you wait until your last term, there’s just no time.
When you meet with someone in the Career or Vocational Center on campus, explain the field or areas you are interested in and ask these questions:
- What are the most important steps I can be taking now to prepare for life after college?
- Can you help me plan out how I will do these between now and when I graduate?
- What are things I can be doing right now to move me toward life after college?
3) Your Professors –
Office hours – this is one of your quickest and most valuable academic investments of time. Most professors hold weekly “office hours” which means they make themselves available for students to drop by (or meet them online) to ask questions about class, explain why they missed class, or grovel for a few more points on an exam.
A few things you should know about professors and their office hours. First, students hardly ever use them. And when they do, it is usually because they want extra points on a test. Second, being a professor can be a pretty lonely gig with many hours spent by themselves when not lecturing. Third, lots of professors got into teaching because they really wanted to engage with students, but discovered that teaching often turns into lots of meetings and grading.
What all this means is that professors are usually delighted when a student comes by to just introduce themselves and ask thoughtful questions. Which is what you should do. Within the first few weeks of each of your courses, make a point to find out when your professors are holding their office hours, and stop by. Mind you, this is not a time to ki$$ a$$. It is a time to have some genuine interaction with your professor and learn a bit more about the class.
You might also consider the possibility that this professor might be someone you could approach for a letter of reference or learn if they’re interested in bringing on a research assistant. You might want to go back at other times during the class, but go at least once toward the beginning.
What should you ask your professors?
When you get to their office, share a bit about yourself, why you’re taking this class, and what you hope to get out of it. Then ask a few simple questions that have nothing to do with begging for extra points on a test:
- How did you get into this field? What do you most enjoy about it?
- Do you have any suggestions for me about how to not just get a good grade, but to also really learn something in this class?
- I’m really interested in ________. Are there ways for me to connect this class to this?
4) Academic Center staff –
Most campuses have a space dedicated to helping students with all sorts of academic skills. Some host study groups for certain classes. Others have tutors on hand to help with particular areas. Some offer mini-courses on how to take good notes. Others help you evaluate your study skills and provide you tools for improving your strategies.
The Academic Center is another fantastic resource that is often under-utilized. If students find it, it’s usually only after they’ve really needed it. It is a great place to visit and find out what they have to offer.
Before you skim by this suggestion and say “‘Academic Support Centers’ are for students who need extra study help. I don’t need that, my grades are fine,” hear me out. First, great, I’m glad you’re a good student. And second, get over yourself. But seriously, disregarding a great resource without checking it out is a terrible idea. Academic support staff (like librarians, counselors and other heroes we’ll meet) are far wiser than they get credit for. Even if you have great study skills, why not take advantage of their expertise?
Before visiting the Academic Support Center, sit down and do a bit of self-assessment. What classes do you need some help with (calculus, organic chemistry)? What skills do you need to polish up a bit (note-taking, organizing your calendar)?
When you check out the Academic Support Center, here are a few questions to ask:
- Can you walk me through the different services you offer students here?
- What do you wish most students knew about the Academic Support Center?
- I could use some help with ________. Are there some ways you could help me with this?
5) Registrar or Academic Advisor –
These are the folks whose job it is to help you choose classes and finish your college program. Colleges and the national organizations who give colleges permission to grant diplomas in different fields have lots of rules around what classes you need to take to get a particular degree or certificate. As good as you might be at doing your taxes or renewing your driver’s license, you’ll need help navigating this academic maze.
Besides making sure you graduate, these folks are also really helpful with knowing the local college class landscape. They will know which classes are offered when, what order you need to take them in, and which will be most helpful for your interests.
It’s also good to know that different colleges are set up to do this academic advising work in different ways. Sometimes professors serve as academic advisors. Sometimes individual programs have their own academic advising staff. Some colleges have their own separate building dedicated to nothing but academic advising. And some colleges have one person in the registrar’s office who talks with every student on campus. You’ll Ask around to find out who it is you should talk with about your class schedule and academic plan.
Once you find them, I’d recommend checking in with this person at least once a year, maybe twice. When you do, explain to them what you are interested in studying, if you’re full time or part time, and what you’re planning on doing with this course of study.
Then try these questions:
- Can you help me design a plan to help me get through this program?
- What are the classes that I need to be taking now and over the next couple of terms?
- When you meet with students, what are the most common things that you wish they would do to improve their academic planning?
6) Counseling center staff –
More colleges are developing on-campus counseling centers. Surprise, surprise, college is stressful! Colleges are recognizing this and beginning to hire staff and create spaces where students can find help with all the pressures that come along with being in college and balancing school and life.
Now, lest you think that Counseling Centers are just for those with mental health “issues, follow me here. First, most of us have mental health issues. The more the stigma of depression, anxiety, and experiences of trauma becomes normalized, the more of us are willing to acknowledge our challenges and find help. Second, the pressures of college, taking classes, juggling assignments, and attending to the needs of our families are real. It is foolish to not take advantage of resources available on campus (especially since you’re probably already paying for them through those additional fees appearing on your financial aid letter).
During your first months on campus, make a visit to the campus Counseling Center. You can probably either walk in or make an appointment online.
When you go, try these questions:
- I am new to campus and have these things I’m particularly struggling with: ______________. Are there resources here that I can connect with?
- Could you give me a bit of an overview of the Counseling Center? What are the sorts of services you offer students?
- What do you wish every student on our campus would know about or make use of through the Counseling Center?
These are the campus celebrities you need to meet when you start college. If you don’t connect with all of them, you’ll probably still find a way to graduate. But I am willing to bet that if you take the time, you’ll move through college more quickly and will learn a lot more.
7) Student Activities and Health Center –
Gone are the days of putting brain-work and physical-activity in different boxes. Research continues to reveal that our body, mind, emotions, and social life are all connected. If you want to do well on a midterm, you need to put in time on the treadmill (or with weights, or in the pool, etc.). One of the best investments you can make in your academic journey is a regular rhythm of exercise.
Fortunately most college campuses come furnished with some of the best exercise, health, and recreation facilities you may ever see (but again, you’re probably already paying for these with your student fees). Today’s campus health and fitness centers have a long list of opportunities ranging from intramural sports and yoga classes to on-campus trainers and open hours for working out. Most schools have well-developed gyms, equipment, and facilities.
Early on in your program, make it a priority to weave exercise into your life. As you do, make some time to visit your campus exercise and fitness center. Make an appointment to get a tour and have someone walk you through the costs, rules, activities and schedule. When you get there, explain where you’re at with making exercise part of your routine and describe the sorts of activities you’re most interested in.
Then try these questions:
- Can I get a tour of the facilities? What are the classes and exercise programs that are available to students?
- Here’s where I’m at with making exercise part of my life ________. What are the sorts of programs that you think I’d be most interested in?
- When it comes to students taking advantage of your fitness activities in school, what is the biggest mistake you think they make?
8) Department support staff –
Those who work in your academic department, but who are not professors or graduate student assistants. These are the folks who probably sit at the front desk and answer every imaginable question that a student could ask. They probably juggle faculty mailboxes, keep track of keys, fix (or call someone to fix the photocopier), reset the wifi, email out next term’s list of classes, and hundreds of other things that you don’t know about.
9) Disability office –
These folks are the oil that makes the department engine run. Without them things seize up and even if all the parts are there, without their often invisible efforts, the car would just stop. In my experience, support staff in most office settings are often overlooked and unappreciated. In academic settings, where advanced academic degrees can often bestow as much hubris as knowledge, academic support staff are probably even more invisible.
Connecting with the folks who make your academic department run is less about setting some sort of formal introduction as it is about making a point of seeing them and appreciating their efforts.
Here are my suggestions:
- ALWAYS treat them with appreciation and respect. Learn their names and use their names to thank them when they answer your questions or help you solve a problem.
- Make a point of thanking them on special days like the annual administrative assistant day. If you happen to be organizing a party for the department, invite them.
- There will be times when you’re trying to solve a problem or figure something out in your department. Remember to ask them their opinion. They probably know more about the department than anyone.
These are the campus celebrities you need to meet when you start at college. If you don’t connect with all of them in the ways I’ve suggested here, you’ll probably still find a way to graduate. But I am willing to bet that if you take the time to have these conversations, you’ll move through your program more quickly and will learn a lot more.
