By Priscilla Mensah
As we approach the halfway mark of the spring semester, it is important to remember to stay connected with the services and people who make up Brooklyn College’s ecosystem. Some of us, having been at Brooklyn College for a few years now, know full well the advantages of connecting with professors, fellow students, and on-campus resources. For others, who may just be starting out, let me remind you of the usefulness of staying connected.
This reminder may be particularly important since many students may have gotten used to attending online classes due to the pandemic’s constricting demands. For these students and those nearing graduation who have been barred from campus for the past two years, this reminder to stay connected is especially relevant. Because virtually any student could use such a reminder, I want to use broad phrasing so as to highlight the universal importance of mindfully interacting with one’s education.
In its most basic form, staying connected involves using campus resources to one’s advantage. There are many different groups, offices, services, and individual faces at Brooklyn College that all have so much to offer. Beyond that, staying connected also means coming to the salient realization that you are not alone on your educational journey. Somewhere on our Midwood campus, there exists a community of people who can help guide you along the way.
There are several steps you can take to unlock the countless different resources and pathways that are available. Checking the Brooklyn College website periodically, for example, can be a great way to learn about important campus-related happenings, in addition to being a great way of obtaining relevant points of contact for different administrative offices. There are also offices such as the Magner Career Center, which offer a true wealth of information and possible connections. Among its numerous services, the Magner Center provides resume and cover letter reviews, mock interviews, help with finding internships, as well as host job fairs you can attend during the fall and spring.
Another easy avenue for staying connected is the Brooklyn College Library, in both its physical and online forms. Specifically, the library has important resources that can prove vital to fulfilling the requirements of research projects and papers for a specific class. I personally love the resource available on the library’s website called “Ask A Librarian,” which allows students to do just that – ask a librarian about any research questions that they may have.
To be connected also means that you stay connected in your courses. This means more than just showing up to class. It includes actually reading a course’s syllabus (and revisiting every so often for clarity) and communicating with your professors whenever questions or concerns arise. I know it can be intimidating to ask professors questions at times, but I’ve found that engaging with professors beyond just turning in assignments is vitally important to learning. Your professors are there to help. Engaging with them will do much more for you in the long run than just showing up.
The point of the matter is simple: as Brooklyn College students, we are part of a larger community. Because of this, one should never hesitate to connect with said community throughout the course of their academic sojourn. I have listed only a few of the many ways that students can, and should, remain connected with the larger Brooklyn College campus. I end with an earnest encouragement for you to explore your own needs and find the resources to help you succeed.