I wanted to take an opportunity to welcome the newest members of the iSchool family, the Class of 2019! You’ve been getting quite a bit of advice over the past few days, and I’d like to add just 3 more pieces to hopefully make your adjustment to Syracuse easier, and to help you thrive while you’re here. 
1. It’s normal to not know what you’re going to do with your degree yet.
Information Management & Technology.
You know what those words mean separately, but perhaps you’re not exactly sure what the term means when the words are put together.
What sort of things will you learn about? What sorts of jobs do iSchool grads get?
Rest assured, these questions will begin to be answered in IST 195, so do yourself a favor and put 110% into that class.
If you find an area seems interesting to you, that’s a great thing to discuss with your faculty advisor, academic advisor, or me in iSchool Career Services. We can all help you figure out next steps to explore if you’ve found a good fit.
2. Ask for help when you need it
While college can be the best time of your life, everyone has to face obstacles and challenges at some point.
Maybe you’re in a class where you can barely keep up with what the professor is saying. Or maybe you feel like everyone else knows what they want to do with their lives, except for you. Whatever the scenario, you don’t have to work through it alone.
This is why you have peer advisors, faculty advisors, and countless staff members dedicated to helping you navigate the world of Syracuse University. While it may be very tempting to just vent to Mom, I assure you there are people on campus who can help you–if you only ask. And I’m certainly one of those to ask for help!
Find your passion by getting involved – like this student group from AsiaTech2015
3. Be curious. Your passion doesn’t fall out of the sky, but you can find it!
‘Follow your passion’ is nice advice, but it requires that you know what you’re passionate about in the first place. So where do you find your passion?
You can find it in class, in student organizations, or through volunteering. The point is, you can’t sit back and hope your passion is handed to you. You have to actively seek it out.
So if something seems even remotely interesting to you, I encourage you to follow it as far as you can–both inside and outside the classroom. Whether your passion turns into a career or a life-long hobby, college is a great place to find it.
Does anyone else have good advice for getting started at, and making a success of, the college transition phase or college life? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section here! And please get in touch with me any time – I’m on the first floor of Hinds Hall, Suite 114, phone (315) 443-4900; and email: mtornabe@syr.edu.
