Junior Year Milestones

Milestone #1:  Partake in a Leadership Role
As a sophomore you were encouraged to join a co-curricular activity or an organization. Getting involved during your time at Loras is a great way to enhance your overall college experience. During your junior year, the Junior Year Experience is encouraging you to take a leadership role in the organizations or co-curricular activity that you are involved in. Your junior year will provide you with lots of opportunities for leadership.  The Junior Year Experience and the Office of Student Life are very excited to be introducing a new program to the campus called “OrgSync”.  OrgSync will allow students and organizations to manage their activities and easily contact members of any organization you participate in. OrgSync is an online management system that centralizes all campus involvement. OrgSync allows you to be more knowledgeable about what is happening on campus, through OrgSync you will be able to print a co-curricular transcript, as well as create a portfolio. OrgSync is new to the Loras  campus this year, this program will offer opportunities for involvement and leadership throughout  campus.  Becoming familiar with the program will greatly benefit you. 

Getting yourself familiar with all of the activities and organizations can be difficult if you don’t know where to look. 

There are so many benefits to partaking in a leadership role with co-curricular activities and organizations. One of the benefits is enhancing your time management skills, by getting yourself more involved, you will have to learn how to better manage your time which will be a great skill to have in the future. This could also be a great way for you to connect with a staff member or other peers; again, expanding your network. Lastly, this will add to your resume, which is something all students continually strive to improve.   

Milestone #2: Develop Professional Etiquette
Professionalism is key when it comes to interacting with potential employers. Things such as dinner and dress etiquette can be a reflection of your professionalism.  In order to improve professionalism amongst current Duhawks, programs such as etiquette dinners and dress code socials are being planned. 

Milestone #3: Participate in a Center for Experiential Learning Workshop
The Center for Experiential Learning (CEL) is a great resource on campus for students of all ages. This is an office in which all junior year students should utilize.  The CEL offers guidance on internships, study abroad and job searching. The following link is to the CEL website: http://inside.loras.edu/StudentDevelopment/CEL/Pages/home.aspx

Internships give students the opportunity to grow outside the classroom.  For most, it is their first job in a professional atmosphere and sometimes these positions turn into full time positions. Securing an internship during or after your junior year gives students first hand experience in the work place. Programs such as internship workshops and seminars offered through the CEL are a great resource for locating internships.

Milestone #4:  Transform Resume to a Professional Document
The resume is a very important tool in job and internship hunting. Employers spend less than 10 seconds looking at a resume; yours must stand out in the process of review. We’ve created a four week resume workshop series that will transform your working resume into a professional document eligible for review by employers. We will welcome Matt Booth, an internationally known speaker on attitude personal growth, to campus in September to speak on the topic of resumes, cover letters, and attitude.

Milestone #5:  Locate & Participate in an Internship
Internships give students the opportunity to grow outside the classroom. For most, it is their first job in a professional atmosphere and sometimes these positions turn into full time positions. Securing an internship during or after your junior year gives students first hand experience in the work place. Programs such as internship workshops and seminars offered through the CEL are a great resource for locating internships.

Milestone #6:  Make Social Connections With Peers
It is important to continue establishing social connections with your fellow Duhawks beyond the first years of college.  The Junior Year Experience will  offer several social programs including a welcome back bash cookout and a trip to Fright Fest at Six Flags Great America and bowling.  We hope to make these socials fun for all participants and provide you the opportunity to meet other students within your grade.