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College life is full of distractions. Apart from the people in your space, who will distract you from achieving your dreams, the University can quickly become overwhelming when you’re trying to maintain a good grade. Amidst these distractions, there are plenty of ways students can take to leap toward achieving their careers. Below are things to consider to get into the game. Take a look at where your passion lies Your passions could be in a lot of different places. The gym? The office? The campus? Family? The computer? The television? A business? Entrepreneurship, etc. Whatever it is, People tend to act upon those things that have meaning to them. The more urgent a particular cause is to you, the more likely you are to act upon it. Prioritize Your selected passion After the selection process, write down the things that are most important to you and then rank them by order of passion. The things that matter most to you are likely your passions and will provide clues to your career purpose. You have to make sure that all aspects of your selected interest appeal to you. In order to do this, you need to really think about what your dream job would be. Is it to become self-employed? To have a particular job title? A healthy work-life balance or a decent business? Make a comparison and consider other factors Compare your career options against your list of prioritized skills. You should consider factors beyond personal preferences. What is the current demand for this field? If the demand is low or entry is difficult, are you comfortable with the risk? What qualifications are required to enter the field? Will it require additional education or training? How will selecting this option affect you and others in your life? Gather advice from friends, colleagues, and family members, then consider potential outcomes and barriers for each of your final options. Make a choice and set smart goals How many paths you choose depends upon your situation and comfort level. If you’re early in your planning, then identifying multiple options may be best. You may want several paths to increase the number of potential opportunities. Conversely, narrowing to one or two options may better focus your job search after graduating from the university. For example, it will be better to have a wider experience in content development and general knowledge of graphics design than to have general knowledge of almost anything you can find. Have an action plan Now that you’ve identified your career options, develop an action plan to implement this decision. Identify specific, time-bound goals and steps to accomplish your plan. Set short-term goals (to be achieved in one year or less) and long-term goals (to be achieved in one to five years). Make sure the goal is specific, and measurable with clear criteria to determine progress and accomplishment. Finally, it is important to be realistic about expectations and timelines. Write down specific action steps to take to achieve your goals and help yourself stay organized. Check them off as you complete them, but feel free to amend your career action plan as needed because your goals and priorities may change.

It’s a common phrase that you become like those with whom you hang out the greatest. That is, if you continue to hang out with smart people who make important decisions, it will ultimately affect how things will turn out for you. While networking remained the action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts, an Introduction to student networking will help you form relationships with those who’ll help get you to where you want to go. The sooner you start networking, the better your chances are of greater professional connections with someone who may help you land that dream job in post-graduate years. Here are four undergraduate networking tips to help you begin: Use your everyday routine to build networking Students’ engagement with professors and course mates is an everyday routine at the university and can be some of your most valuable assets when it comes to job hunting in the future. Build this into networking. Professors, for example, may offer valuable industry insight and advice to students who may land a good job tomorrow. Such students in turn may share professors with links to job openings for promising students who could take up the role. Be involved in campus activities People usually ignore the importance of getting involved with on-campus activities, particularly how it relates to networking. Getting involved in campus activities such as student clubs, signing up for a campus blog/newsletter, or volunteering in community services is a sure way to make new friends and perhaps beef up your network. Your campus has a career center, take advantage of it University career centers can become an interesting place to network. Typically, you will find open internship opportunities, learn about upcoming volunteer jobs, get free career advice, get a tip on how to build an online presence/network, etc. Student representatives usually have a relationship with the career center officer, you can get to know them, have conversations, share your career visions and receive free consulting about what is trending in the industry. Develop an online presence and maintain your network The idea of social media for most undergraduates carries a feeling of distraction from studies. However, you can leverage social media via platforms like LinkedIn, or tweeter, depending on your chosen industry. Your university might even have an alumni group on Facebook. Alumni are fond of posting job openings within their company and if you are sure you qualify for the job, you can reach out to the one who posted the job opening. Finally, just like other jobs, networking is hard work and will need to be maintained through positive relationships. When you meet people with similar interests, it’s important to maintain that connection afterword. A simple email will indicate that you value the time spent talking with them.

Long vacations in every higher institution of learning fall towards the end of the second semester (spring). During the holidays, the slum hits, summer boredom takes over and many students find themselves in a rut, not knowing what to do. It feels like you have way too much time on your hands but you’re not doing much with it? Here’s how you can get yourself out of that slump. Be thankful We understand that you might have had some killer moments when you wish you were in school, taking the long hours, but be thankful you don’t have to return to the university this weekend. There aren’t too many times in life where people get a one-two month holiday from work and you may never get it back after your graduation. At the university you’ll get at least three – so, make the most of it. Take some time out to learn something new You should try to strike a balance and take time out to learn something that you have always wanted to. It can be linked to your curriculum or it can be something like playing the guitar or learning a new career skill. If you want to enhance your skill, then you should take up a course in that line. There are plenty of tutorials available that can get you started. A break of 2 – 3 months will be sufficient to learn confidently. Start small with basic Programmes? Avoid getting hit by holiday boredom If you are already feeling the semester break boredom, chances are, you haven’t been making the most of your break as mentioned above. You may decide to go see a movie, but if you’re stuck in a watching cycle of one show after the other, that’s one way to get yourself into a rut. After a long academic year, you’re very much entitled to a couple of days where you don’t leave your house but don’t let that be your entire holiday break. Find the cause of your rut/slump Address the problem head-on. If you feel like you’re stuck in a rut, it might be time to change your everyday habits. Change up your routine and try fitting in something you love every day. If you’re feeling a bit lost without the structure of university life, add some organization and activities to your days off. Don’t let summer boredom take over – make the most of your break now before you’re back into the full swing of campus activities. Enjoy your holidays!

You have undoubtedly worked hard to submit your university application and passed your JAMB as well as your post-UTME examinations. It’s been a while now since you’ve been waiting for an admission list. For the next few weeks, you may have the anxiety of waiting as matriculation/orientation time gets closer. It’s a dream you’ve had for a while and you’re finally closer to making it happen. It may seem like an easy process making the admission list but you’ve put in so much studying time and felt the stress of going through the examination process. It’s normal to feel a little nervous and stressed before you know your admission status. As the days go by, unlike your peers whose names were published on the first batch admissions list, you are yet to receive any news of possible admission. Your admission is being delayed. It’s easy to become an application-status stalker as you count down the days until you know if you are accepted or rejected. This waiting period can also be put to effective use. A little guidance about what to do can help you manage the situation. So until the university admission list is out with your names boldly written, here are some answers to what you can do differently. Inquire about your admissions status You should call the admissions office to double-check. Each year, you get people who applied for admissions when admissions are open but never followed through, even when a follow-up call has been made. Some candidates waited to call back after the admissions are already closed to ask if they have been admitted or rejected. Have a backup plan The university admissions process is a curious game filled with anxiety and unpredictable outcomes. Every year in Nigeria, thousands of students find themselves faced with the seemingly unthinkable: getting rejected from every school to which they have applied. You shouldn’t wait to find yourself in this unfortunate situation after your university application. Have a second and third option for your admission. You can also see if a private university is open to an appeal process, or seek out universities with late and/or open admissions. Get your mind engaged in productive activities & pray While waiting for admissions, there are other productive activities you can do to keep a positive spirit. Jobs not only bring in extra money, but they also teach you important lessons and give you experience for the future. Having a job can be extremely rewarding during the waiting period. You can also use the time to learn a new skill – using the internet or learning a new trade like sewing, baking, etc. You’ll feel more independent (and maybe a lot better while you wait for the admission to come through). Best of Luck!

Since its establishment four years ago, for the first time, Skyline University Nigeria has hosted a farewell and appreciation party in celebration of the outgoing class of 2022 (pioneer students). The opportunity to celebrate with friends and outgoing coursemates, as well as staff, was highly appreciated as the students tuned in to share in the celebration organized for them. The party was a display of joy and excitement. The class was thrilled at the chance to celebrate and capture those all-important moments. The response from the celebrants has been stupendous. The result is even more so. Mohammad Abbator, one of the outgoing students from the Department of Management, while expressing his gratitude, stated that these incredibly important celebrations could not have gone ahead without the help of so many across the university who gave their time, expertise, and enthusiasm in part, that has brought about this important day. “I would like to hand out my esteemed congratulations to all outgoing class of 2022 as well as myself who are ready to move on to achieve further in life”. While delivering his inspirational farewell address, the Vice-Chancellor of Skyline University Nigeria, Professor Ajith Kumar VV stated that this has been an extraordinary feat as the outgoing class of 2022 will be stepping into a new phase. He re-assured the students who were elated that Skyline University Nigeria has delivered on its knowledge, skills, and value-based education as promised four years ago while they were joining, that employers looked for graduates with good soft skills (interpersonal, leadership skills, communication skills), most of which they already possessed. The Registrar, Mr. Haruna Aliyu noted that in life, one would get to a place of making difficult and important decisions, and relying on one’s wisdom alone might not be enough to navigate the turbulent corporate and business world. He highlighted the important things that will keep the students moving. According to him, Knowledge Update, Innovation, and Humanitarian Engagement – community service. The party was anchored by Ms. Aisha Zanna, of the Department of Mass Communication, and Mr. Mohammad Abbator, of the Department of Entrepreneurship, all outgoing class of 2022.