First Year: Explore & Engage

Begin to engage by choosing the best experiences for you.

• Search the My USC Experience database for ideas and contacts
• Talk to someone who can help: academic advisor, faculty member, Leadership and Service Center coach, Resident Mentor or another peer leader
• Attend resource fairs at the Russell House (student organizations, study abroad and more)
• Try out some activities: Go to a meeting of a student organization, participate in a Service Saturday or Diversity Dialogue
• Meet with a coach in the Career Center to think through possibilities for your future
• Check out funding opportunities through workshops offered on study abroad, internships and research

Second and Third Years: Experience & Reflect

Engage more deeply and document your involvement. Reflect on your experiences, share your learning and adapt your plans as you go.

• Engage in one or more experiential learning opportunities (ELO): work-related experience, study abroad, research, peer leadership and community service
• Engage in fewer types of experiences to dig deeper in your area of greatest interest
• Document what you are doing in class and beyond by uploading pictures, videos, papers and presentations (Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud)
• Register your research projects in the OUR Research Registry
• Take opportunities to lead in areas in which you have built experience
• Visit Discover USC to see what others are presenting
• Complete the Orientation for Graduation with Leadership Distinction and think about how you can fit UNIV 401 or a similar seminar into your senior year
• Fill out the GLD Advising Worksheet to help you plan for Graduation with Leadership Distinction and Meet with a GLD advisor. 

Senior Year: Articulate & Demonstrate

Learn to tell your story.  Be ready to share the significance of who you are and what you know and can do in job interviews and graduate school applications.

• Fully engage in capstone courses and experiences to demonstrate and articulate how learning and experiences have prepared you for the future (consider UNIV 401 for Graduation with Leadership Distinction)
• Participate in a Mock Interview in the Career Center and get advice on polishing up your resume
• Present on your experiential learning opportunity at Discover USC
• Showcase your skills and accomplishments at college/department events or professional conferences
• Create an ePortfolio to demonstrate who you are, what you know and can do and how you can contribute to your profession and community

First Year: Explore, Experience & Reflect

Choose and engage in the best experiences for you based on your past experience and future goals.  Reflect on what you are learning and document your experiences.

In your first semester:

• Search the My USC Experience database and for ideas and contacts
• Talk to someone who can help: academic advisor, faculty member, Leadership and Service Center coach, Resident Mentor or another peer leader
• Meet with a coach in the Career Center to think through possibilities for your future
• Check out workshops to learn about funding opportunities (study abroad, internships, research)

In your second semester:

• Engage in an experiential learning opportunity (ELO) or plan for one in your senior year: work-related experience, study abroad, research, peer leadership or community service
• Document what you are doing in class and beyond by uploading pictures, videos, papers and presentations (Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud)
• Take opportunities to lead in areas in which you have built experience
• Visit Discover USC to see what others are presenting
• Complete the Orientation for Graduation with Leadership Distinction (GLD) and think about how you can fit UNIV 401 or a similar seminar into your senior year
• Fill out the GLD Advising Worksheet to help you plan for Graduation with Leadership Distinction and Meet with a GLD advisor. 

Second Year: Articulate & Demonstrate

Learn to tell your story.  Be ready to share the significance of who you are, what you know and can do in job interviews and graduate school applications.

• Fully engage in capstone courses and experiences to demonstrate and articulate how learning and experiences have prepared you for the future (consider UNIV 401 for GLD)
• Participate in a Mock Interview in the Career Center and get advice on polishing up your resume
• Present on your experiential learning opportunity at Discover USC
• Showcase your skills and accomplishments at college/department events or professional conferences
• Create an ePortfolio to demonstrate who you are, what you know and can do and how you can contribute to your profession and community