Opportunities for Sophomore Students
For sophomores, the romance of the first year is over and the feeling of getting
down to business remains at the forefront. It is time to take your goals to the
next level. Now that you know what to expect from UCSB, you can work on what you
want from UCSB. This is a good time to explore careers and make a decision on a
major (s). You came here for a reason; now let’s bump that up a notch. Think of
your resume. What type of activities would be helpful? Internships, study abroad,
involvement in faculty research, etc. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.
- Career Services: Career Services: Career Counselors can advise you on how
to get started with your major and when you are ready, job market or graduate/professional
school admissions preparation. Career Services is also a great place to explore
internships that can give you hands-on experience and knowledge that can strengthen
your resume or admission applications. Be sure to visit
http://career.ucsb.edu/ and complete the registration process for
GauchoLink, UCSB's Employment Connection, for access to UCSB's Internship
database and for email updates on events and opportunities related to your career
interests.
- Interesting Course: Take Education 164, an educational and vocational guidance
course designed to help you explore career information and understand the job market.
See the Schedule of Classes for enrollment information.
- Searching for a Major or Trying to Decide if you Like the One you Have: Visit
your undergraduate advisor or a faculty member. Ask what students do in that major
after graduation. Don’t forget to inquire about research opportunities! Your Department
Advisor is where you go for questions regarding your major requirements. Visit the
College of Letters & Science website at
www.advising.ltsc.ucsb.edu. Look under Academic Advising/Choice of major.
Your College is also the place to go for information regarding General Education
and Academic Residence requirements. General Education courses are a great way to
“try on a major” to see if you like it. If you do or do not like the class as a
potential major, you still get GE requirements out of the way. To help with your
major search, you can also visit MyRoad at
http://apps.collegeboard.com/myroad/navigator.jsp?t=351&i=homepage.
- Faculty: Networking with faculty takes your education to a new level.
It is also critical for letters of reference for the job market or graduate school
admission. Take repeated classes with the same professor, consider enrolling in
seminars which have smaller class enrollment or participate in faculty research.
- Research & Alternative Learning Opportunities: Consider studying at the UC
Center in Washington, DC or participating in research here at UCSB. Visit the Undergraduate
Research and Creative Activities office 2105 North Hall. Ask about extracurricular
activities that can take your learning experience out of the classroom and diversify
your resume. Graduate schools and employers look favorably on students who participate
in extracurricular activities. www.ltsc.ucsb.edu/urca/index.php
- Study Abroad: Visit the Education Abroad Program at 2431 South Hall. The
world is waiting for you! www.eap.ucsb.edu
- Student organizations: Being a leader in your high school is what helped
you in your admission to UCSB. Continue to be active in issues, causes or groups
that are of interest to you. Visit the Office of Student Life webpage for a listing
of UCSB registered student organizations. www.sa.ucsb.edu/osl.
Look under UCSB Student Organizations. Another option is being active in Associated
Students through student government or volunteerism.
www.as.ucsb.edu.
- Honors Programs: Visit your College and ask about honors programs and/or
honor societies. The advantages of participation may include early registration,
access to computer labs, smaller courses with greater faculty access and of course
more depth to your studies.
- Housing search: When it is time to move from the residence halls to a private
apartment, review Housing & Residential Services’ Survival Guide for everything
from signing a contract to choosing a roommate.
www.housing.ucsb.edu/hchoices/cho-survival-guide.htm