Graduation may be right around the corner for a few of us Aggies, but are we really maximizing our potential and preparing ourselves for life after graduation?

When a person makes an investment in something, they have to consider many things: the cost, the return, and the risk of failing. The same is true for getting a college education because it is an investment. The cost is paying the high priced tuition. The return is getting a college degree. Dropping out of school or having your college plans deferred is the risk of failure.

President Obama’s speech to school kids last Tuesday hit the mark for me. He encouraged students to be proactive in utilizing the opportunities before them in regards to education. Although it was pretty much geared towards students in grade school, there was something in that speech that had me thinking differently about my goals and what my purpose here at North Carolina A&T really is.

I have been here for four years now and since school has started, I realize I have not been pushing myself to be all that I can be and doing what I need to do to get a degree. Somewhere along the way, I got distracted and lost focus. Somewhere along the line I forgot the reason why I was here.

Sure, I always knew the ultimate reason of being in school is to graduate, get a good job and live happily ever after. However, I was not maximizing my opportunity. I started settling for less than my best.

Being in college presents a lot of opportunities, but why are you really here? If you can answer that question you are on the right path already. I truly could not answer that question for a long time and the only answer I could give was because my parents and family expected it of me.

After much consideration, I finally found some direction. Last week I sat down and planned out what I needed to do to transition from now until my final year of school. I asked myself, what do I really want to do when I get my degree?  Being a biology major presents many interesting paths for me to choose from and have a successful career. Many of the majors students study have potential to yield positive results.

Have you sat down and researched the career opportunities available to you? If not, you should start doing so now no matter what year you are. What is it that you want to do with your major and what are the necessary steps you need to take to get your goal results?

I took time out and researched potential career possibilities that sparked an interest and discovered I was actually limiting my choices by being ignorant to what was available. There are many job possibilities to choose from but without making an effort to research which ones are, you cut yourself short of the endless choices you have.

College is not just about going to school and making good grades. Employers want their employees to be well rounded with good grades and extra-curricular activities. Companies do not want to hire you simply because you have a college degree, but preferably because you learned and gained experience while in school.

Field experience is crucial in making yourself competitive in your career market.  Having a similar resume to those around you will not make you stand out, but showing participation in school or in the community helps to build a strong resume.  

• Kendra Webb