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“How can I gain more experience while I am studying?”

What is the best part of being a student? You can dream, and work towards achieving your dreams. As someone said, ‘Do something today that your future self will thank you for’, student life must be filled with enriching learning experiences that would prepare you for future success. While academics form the foundation path, you must explore opportunities that would equip you with relevant skills and add real world knowledge to your experience. Here’s what you can do to gain more experience while studying:

Go for internships: There is nothing more exciting and enlightening as participating in an internship program. You’ll be entering the premises of a real organisation to gain hands-on knowledge. It will be a test of all that you have learned as theoretical concepts and how to successfully implement them to get the desired outcome. Besides being trained, you’ll be interacting with professionals and industry experts, collaborating with them on real projects and in the process learning about essential skills like organisation, multitasking and work ethics. Internships allow you to get a taste of the professional world and your future work field. You’ll be aware of your strengths and shortcomings and understand if that’s where you want to be. It’s a must for every student before you decide to take the final leap.

Participate in exchange programs: This is a welcoming break from the monotony of being a student, but it is as much learning as it sounds adventurous. These programs are catered to let students discover an alternative location for advancing their education as well as making them aware of other cultures. You’ll pursue your field of interest in a destination that will enhance your knowledge and understanding beyond the textbook and let you gain valuable insights about new ways of life, academic environment and even new languages. You’ll collaborate with peers who belong to a different cultural background, learn an incredible lot from what they think and how they work. You’ll return with a gamut of experiences about different perspectives and diverse people.

Get a part time job: If you want to hone your skills to join your dream profession, utilise your after school hours or weekends to work in the relevant field. Do you aspire to be a marketing and sales professional? You can work in a retail shop or in a BPO as customer care executive to learn and understand the key elements that drive up-sale etc. A part time job opportunity a) gives you an idea if it’s the right profession, b) teaches you the required skill sets to excel, c) boosts your confidence, and d) trains you to be a professional. This on the job experience cannot be substituted by reading books. Remember when you learn something the hard way, it guides you lifelong like the north star.

Join volunteer work: Whether volunteering with elephants in Thailand or setting out for marine conservation expedition in Fiji, volunteering activities is a way to know the world up and close. You’ll be working with people from different walks of life on a shared mission, motivated by a common goal and earning valuable experiences of team work, organisation, collaboration and much more. The work will not be easy, yet you’ll enjoy the challenges of thriving in unfamiliar terrains and bonding with diverse people from your companions to the locals. It would be a lifetime of an experience and your resources for a successful future.

Go travel/go on excursions: What can be truer than this age-old adage – the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. Travel widens your horizon and add years to your experience. Grasp every opportunity to embark on your voyage of exploring the world. Whether on school trips or with family or friends, the more you travel, the more you learn. You may have read about the Inca civilization, but seeing the grandeur of Machu Picchu with your own eyes might tell you a new story. From gathering information to gaining deeper insights, from experiencing aboriginal culture to admiring the magnificence of nature, travel will take you on an endless journey of discovery and life- long learning. Here’s more to the story - you’ll never confuse direction, hardly feel clueless if ever stranded in an unknown place, know how to get along with locals and create your comfort zone just anywhere.

Enrol in summer course abroad: This is one of the best ways to widen your experience and deepen your knowledge. A short summer course abroad is a perfect blend of studies, travel and amazing activities. Summer courses provide you intense subject knowledge as well as their practical application. The curriculum beautifully balances between excursions, field trips and dynamic classroom activities. It will be a litmus test for one who aspires to pursue higher education abroad. if you want to gain experience of study abroad, opt for a summer course to know the campus culture, education system, diverse community of peers, the geography etc.

Experience is the best way to gain knowledge. Give yourself the chance to explore and experience new landscapes of learning. As you set forth towards realising your dreams, remember to fix your goal and destination so that you know where you are heading. Good luck!

ABOUT THE COMPANY

ReachIvy is a premium education and career advisory that helps aspiring students get accepted into top tier educational institutions globally. We have successful admits at MIT, Columbia, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, London School of Economics, University of Michigan, Oxford, University of Chicago amongst others.

Vibha Kagzi, Founder and CEO, ReachIvy, holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a Bachelor of Science from Carnegie Mellon University. She has also pursued courses at the University of California, Berkeley, the London School of Economics and the Indian School of Business.

Our global team of counsellors have also acquired their degrees from premier institutes and are passionate about sharing their experiences with students worldwide.