Steps

Put your best foot forward!
By following the pointers listed in this guide, your college life will be a positive and rewarding experience.

• Make an effort to become acquainted with all my professors. This action will allow me to be a familiar face rather than a number.
• Visit the Dean of Students Office (Clark Student Center room 121) to familiarize myself with the services and resources that are available.
• Contact the Counseling Center (corner of Louis J. Rodriguez Dr. & Hampstead Ln.) and become acquainted with ways to enhance my personal development, learn study skills and use DISCOVER to explore my career options.
• Contact the Career Management Center (Clark Student Center room 108) about my interests and aptitudes and how they relate to careers. Complete the Strong Interest Inventory and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator.
• Maintain contact with my academic advisor. The registration period will not be my only source of contact with this important person.
• Visit the Office of Student Leadership and Involvement (Clark Student Center room 194) to find information on programs, activities, and student organizations in which I may become involved.
• Maintain contact with the Admissions Office (Hardin South room 101) which is an excellent place to seek help to make a successful transition to college life.
• Pick up your free planner available at the Clark Student Center Information Desk, to help organize my time, activities, and appointments.
• Check with my department for additional sources of financial aid. Know the deadlines for academic scholarships and financial aid.
• Check to see if employment is available by logging on to the MustangsHire system web page at www.msutexas.edu/career.
• Locate the library and use it! Private study rooms are available on the second floor.
• Register all vehicles with the University Police Department.
• Check with the Vinson Health Center about the services available and the hours of operation.
• Get out and have some fun by attending athletic events, Artist-Lecture Series, speakers, Recreational Sports activities, MSU Theatre, Music performances or University Programming Board (UPB) programs. It’s all FREE with my student ID!!!

• Meet with a faculty advisor and complete my degree plan.
• Make an appointment once each semester to discuss my degree program and courses with my academic advisor.
• Participate in Recreational Sports competitions.
• Consider joining a student organization related to my major or personal interests.
• Prepare my resume and start searching for possible internships.
• Grab my maroon and gold, gear and help cheer our MSU athletic teams on to a national championship! GO MUSTANGS!!!
• Talk to the Counseling Center professional staff about my interests and aptitudes and how they relate to careers.
• Identify key faculty and professional staff on campus and consider having one as a mentor.
• Pledge to support all student organizations, such as the minority awareness organizations, social and professional organizations, Greek organizations, and academic and special interest groups.
• Ask my sweetheart out for a romantic evening at an MSU theater production.
• Become involved in at least one leadership position on campus. Attend iLEAD and weCONNECT sponsored by the Student Leadership ad Involvement Office.
• Apply to be a Student Leader (Orientation Leaders, Resident Assistant, Peer Mentor, etc.)

• Consult with faculty and staff regarding recommendations about my professional/ academic qualifications.
• Construct an effective resume that has been critiqued and professionally reproduced. Contact the Career Management Center for assistance.
• Join at least one professional or honorary organization related to my major in order to network with people in the professional world.
• Participate in community service projects to meet people outside of MSU and acquire some experience. Contact the Student Leadership and Involvement Office for service opportunities.
• Take the Writing Proficiency Exam.
• Attend one of the great programs the Artist-Lecture Series or the Student Success Series are sponsoring this year.
• Become familiar with the Career Management Center on-campus and mock interviewing process in preparation for my interviews next year.
• Actively support the Student Government Association by attending meetings, assuming leadership roles, and participating in functions.
• Show my MSU Pride to the entire university at MSU athletic events.
• Mark my calendar for the next MSU theater or music production and bring some friends along for a great performance.
• Pop some popcorn and attend the screening of a great new movie presented by the University Programming Board. I can impress my friends by treating them to a night out (at no charge to me).

• Prepare myself for the interviewing process by attending job search, resume writing, and interviewing seminars conducted by the Career Management Center.
• Attend a career expo or networking event sponsored by the Career Management Center.
• File for graduation with the Registrar's Office!
• Attend Imagine Graduation!
• Develop a draft cover letter for my resume that can be adapted to each company or organization contact.
• Write thank you letters to each company that has interviewed me.
• Familiarize myself with application deadlines for graduation, regalia and invitations, graduate school, and any related tests which are required.
• Talk to recent graduates in my major concerning the job market.
• Attend athletic events, Artist-Lecture Series and UPB programs, and an MSU theater or music production.
• Check the Moffett Library and read periodicals related to my major and career field in order to familiarize myself with current trends and issues in the profession.
• Keep in mind that I might have to relocate, remembering that flexibility will be to my advantage.
• Be aware of the Career Management Center Resource Library and I know how to research a company.
• Keep a business card file to maintain contact with prospective employers.
• Speak with my advisor to make sure I have met all the requirements to complete my degree.
• Order my regalia, invitations, and class ring!
• Join the MSU Alumni Association.