Academic Counseling Services

The past several weeks have marked a big transition for many children (and their caregivers) as everyone heads #backtoschool. This was a particularly special time for my wife and me as we moved our oldest son into his college dorm room. I’d like to say I offered him sage advice as he started his freshman year, but it was an emotional time and the best I could do was say “make sure to go to class, call if you need anything, we love you.” The four-hour car ride home gave me a lot of time to reflect on what I wish I had told him, and later than night, I texted him (he doesn’t check his email) with three pieces of advice: 1. 𝐁𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞; 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐅𝐎𝐌𝐎. There are going to be so many opportunities to get involved with so many different things and there will be so many demands on your time. Make active decisions on how you want to spend your time and what you don’t want to do. 2. 𝐓𝐫𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬; 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬, 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬. Get uncomfortable – that’s the time when you really learn and grow. 3. 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲, 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬. The most enriching part of your experience is going to be the people you meet. Make sure to take advantage of the bright, interesting, and motivated people around you to learn with them. I thought this advice was not only relevant for college students, but also for anyone working to build or grow her/his career. What other #advice would you give someone starting their next chapter?

I got a 4.0 last semester and made the Dean's List for the 1st time as a junior in college majoring in Computer Science & Engineering. My secret? It wasn't studying for 40 hours a week. It wasn't cramming for exams. It wasn't spending all of my free time in the computer lab. It was being strategic with my class selection and building my schedule. Here's how I created the perfect, challenging enough (but not impossible), and manageable class schedule: 1️⃣ Use RateMyProfessor (RMP). Believe me when I say a professor can make or break a class and even make or break your ability to stay in a major (depending on the class). Consider the number of ratings left for the teacher and which classes the reviews were for. Ideally, find a professor with a rating of 4.5+ based on at least 100 reviews. ⬆️ Think about attendance when looking at the RMP rating. There are two really cool features in RMP ~ one is a subtext that says "Attendance Mandatory?" and the other is a tag called, "Miss class? You won't pass." Either of these items can indicate that attendance is a big part of the grade. If you plan on attending conferences or have a family vacation pre-planned, you may want to think twice before registering for an attendance-required class. 2️⃣ Look up the past syllabuses of the class. Google your shorthand school name (ex. UNR, UCLA), the class code (ex. CS 302, MATH 330), and the professor's last name. If the professor has taught the class before, chances are that the syllabus is posted somewhere online. ⬆️ Think about grading structure. Use the syllabus to determine the grading structure of the class. Realistically, some classes are more exam-heavy than others. If you have test anxiety like I do (and many other students do), you might want to choose classes where projects carry more weight in your overall grade. 3️⃣ Be realistic with those class times. Everyone thinks they can make it to a 7:30 am class until that very first day. And believe me ~ it's not easy to stay awake in those 9 pm classes. So choose your class times wisely. 4️⃣ Try to get priority registration. A lot of schools offer priority registration for specific student groups like student-athletes, disabled students, and cohort students. If you're a member of any of the above groups, make sure you're taking advantage of the priority registration. If you're not, look into how you can get priority registration, like through an honors program. 5️⃣ Create a mix of class difficulty and topics. Your class schedule should be manageable! You don't have to take four senior-level classes as a sophomore. Last semester (my 6th semester), I took two senior-level CS classes, two senior-level business classes, one sophomore-level general ed, and one junior-level engineering core ed. This selection made for a diverse mix of projects, exams, papers, small assignments, and group work, which was reasonable and manageable. #students #college #studentsoflinkedin #earlycareers #student

Here is how I changed my perspective on academia to ensure I enjoyed medical school: After experiencing continuous stress, worry and self-inflicted pressure during my A-Levels 📚, I decided that I did not want to spend my 5 years at medical school in the same way 🩺. Here are some very critical lessons that changed my perspective 👀and taught me how to view academia in a healthier way: 1. Grades aren’t everything Although difficult, I forced myself to let go of the mentality of having to have the best grades all the time. Although it is important to work hard and study, this shouldn’t cause you to work yourself to the bone. Knowing that I did not need to focus on numbers and grades (as our exams are pass or fail) allowed me to take a step back, stop putting too much pressure on myself and enjoy what I was learning. 2. Focus on yourself Comparison is a student’s worst enemy. Coming into medical school, I realised that it was impossible to compare myself to my 400+ peers because medical students come from all walks of life. Knowing this forced me to focus on myself and my studies, rather than what anyone else was doing, allowing me to build a healthy relationship with my work. 3. Check your priorities In the past, my top priority was my grades. It came before everything else meaning that my health, social life and general wellbeing took a back seat. Although this was very unhealthy, I learnt with time that nothing was more important than my own physical and mental health. Once you put things into perspective, you realise that without prioritising yourself, nothing else runs smoothly either, 4. Give yourself grace As a medical student, I learnt to give myself grace as I am not perfect. Sometimes I procrastinate and sometimes I get things wrong, but it is okay. Being kind to yourself is so important, especially when you are going through a difficult time. This makes it easier to not fear mistakes but instead learn from them. What are your top tips for having a healthy relationship with academia? 💬 #medicalstudent #medicalschool #studentlife #studenttips

Build connections when you don’t need them, so they’re there when you do. Networking is a long‑term investment. You never know what can happen tomorrow, whether it’s a new opportunity, an unexpected challenge, or a career pivot. By cultivating relationships early, you turn strangers into allies and potential into possibility. My pro‑tip? Develop your personal value proposition. 
- List your top 3–5 strengths and concrete examples of how you’ve helped others 
- Turn each into an “I help…” statement (for example, “I help marketing teams drive engagement through data‑driven storytelling”) 
- Use these statements to guide every outreach, ensuring you’re always offering value, not just asking for favors Then start from what you know. 1. Choose 5–10 people from your alumni network, former classmates, or close colleagues 2. Send a genuine note, share an article they might find helpful, congratulate them on a recent win, or simply ask how you can support them 3. No agenda. Just curiosity and a willingness to help Next, venture into the unknown. 1. Identify people at companies you admire or in roles you aspire to 2. Do your homework: reference a recent project, article, or speaking engagement 3. Reach out with a clear, value‑first message: “I enjoyed your piece on X; as someone looking to Y, I’d love to learn how you approached Z.” And keep the momentum going. 
- Schedule quarterly reminders to check in, share insights, celebrate milestones, or ask a thoughtful question 
- Track key dates (promotions, product launches, anniversaries) so your messages feel timely Your network matters. When you need advice, an introduction, or anything really, you’ll already have authentic connections. And at the end of the day, already built connections where you can leverage the relationships > dry unknowns ‘Hey, I need help’ messages. #StephSynergy

Internships are more than just a resume booster—they're a gateway to your future career. To make the most out of your internship, it’s essential to approach it with the right mindset and strategies. Here are some key points to keep in mind based on my experience: 🔍 Think Beyond Your Role: Don’t limit yourself by thinking, "I’m just an intern." Approach your tasks with the mindset of a full-time employee. Take initiative by volunteering for projects, offering ideas, and going beyond expectations. Employers value proactive interns who take ownership and make a lasting impact. 👔 Dress and Behave Professionally: First impressions matter. Dress appropriately and maintain professionalism in all interactions. How you present yourself influences how colleagues perceive your commitment and seriousness in the role. 🫱🏼🫲🏻Build Relationships: Take the time to network with colleagues across different departments. These connections can be valuable for future opportunities. 📊 Seek Feedback: Don’t wait until the end of your internship to ask for feedback. Regular check-ins with your supervisor can help you grow and adapt throughout your experience. 📝 Document Your Work: Keep a detailed record of your tasks, projects, and any new skills you acquire. This will be crucial for updating your resume and discussing your experience in future interviews. 🗂️ Stay Organized: Juggle your tasks efficiently and meet deadlines. Keeping track of your projects and accomplishments will help you manage your workload and showcase your contributions. 👀 Observe and Learn: Watch how professionals in the company work and handle challenges. This observation can provide insights that aren’t taught in University. 💡 Stay Resilient: As a newcomer to the corporate world, it’s normal to face challenges and feel out of your comfort zone. Remember, growth happens outside of comfort. Hang in there, even when it feels tough. Trust that the right opportunities and successes will come with time, perseverance and the effort you’re putting in. By keeping these strategies in mind, you’ll not only excel in your current internship but also lay a strong foundation for your future career. Remember, the effort you invest now will pay dividends in the long run. :) - Dasun Vimukthi - #CareerGrowth #InternshipTips #ProfessionalDevelopment #WorkplaceSkills #FutureLeaders #CareerAdvice #Networking #InternshipSuccess #StandoutasanIntern

Universities and colleges put enormous effort into welcoming new students. Orientation weeks are colourful, busy, and full of opportunities to connect, but research shows that the sense of belonging students gain in those early days often fades as the semester progresses. The challenge, and opportunity, is for practitioners to design approaches that sustain belonging beyond the first few weeks. A recent study (International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, October 2024) examined how students navigate educational transitions and highlighted the importance of realistic preparation, sustained connection, and the role of educators in shaping belonging. Drawing on the study, here are five domains to guide practice: 1️⃣ Prepare by setting realistic expectations. Too often, students arrive with glossy images of university life, only to feel blindsided by the pace, workload, or challenges of forming new friendships. Providing honest, balanced information before arrival helps normalise difficulty and reduce the shock of transition. Examples could include current student or alumni-led Q&A sessions, “What I wish I’d known” videos and resources.   2️⃣ Connect by creating micro-moments not just big events. Large welcome events can spark initial excitement, but belonging is sustained through everyday micro-connections - someone to sit with in class, a lecturer remembering your name, a peer inviting you to coffee. Encourage tutors to use ice breakers beyond week one, support student leaders to facilitate ongoing low-barrier activities that foster peer and staff connection like weekly walks or shared study sessions. 3️⃣ Empower educations as ‘belonging builders.’ The research reinforces that educators play a critical role in student wellbeing. Approachability, empathy, and inclusivity from teaching staff often matter as much as peer friendships. Small practices like checking in, learning names, or acknowledging diverse perspectives can have outsized impact. 4️⃣ Integrate by addressing compounding transitions. Academic demands, social shifts, housing changes, and wellbeing challenges often overlap. Students rarely experience these in isolation, and when combined, they intensify stress and risk of disengagement. Consider integrated and holistic advising models where academic, wellbeing, and housing staff collaborate to support students. 5️⃣ Monitor, recognising loneliness as an early signal Finally, loneliness is often the first indicator of deeper wellbeing issues. Monitoring connection levels can provide an early warning system for support. Use pulse surveys, quick check-ins in tutorials, or digital tools to flag students at risk of isolation, paired with clear referral and early intervention pathways (e.g., peer connectors, student mentors, proactive outreach). 🔗 Read the full study: https://lnkd.in/gjvUH6sa

As we continue to work with schools and districts, we are being asked more and more about the best way to identify GenAI EdTech tools to pilot. Based on our experience as EdTech builders in the past, we created this guide to anchor conversations with tool providers (newly revised and re-designed). Here's what we suggest: Human Oversight and Quality Control Our users need to trust AI-generated content from your platform. What human oversight and quality control measures do you employ? Are there user warnings about accuracy of outputs? How do you ensure that feedback from users is being collected and actioned? Mitigating Bias in Outputs It’s important that the tools we use do not cause harm to our students or teachers. What steps are you taking to identify and mitigate biases in the underlying GenAI models your product uses? How will you ensure fair and unbiased outputs? Student Privacy and Ethical Data Use Protecting student data privacy and ensuring ethical use of data is our priority. What third parties have access to our data (e.g., OpenAI, Google)? Is our data used to train any internal or external GenAI models? What policies and safeguards can you share to address privacy concerns? Evidence of Impact We need evidence that your AI tool will improve learning outcomes for our student population and/or effectively support our teachers. Can you provide examples, metrics and/or case studies of positive impact in similar settings? Accessibility and Inclusive Design Our school needs to accommodate diverse learners and varying technical skills among staff. How does your tool ensure accessibility and usability for all our students and staff? What ongoing support and training is available? Link in the comments to save or download the PDF version! AI for Education #GENAI #edTech #responsibleAI

One of the most common questions I get is: 👉 “Which course should I do?” 👉 “What new skill will actually help me grow?” The truth is — there’s no “one right course” for everyone. What works for your colleague may not work for you. So here’s a simple framework I use to guide my clients (and myself): 1. Start with your Goal Ask yourself: Where do I want to be in the next 2–3 years? If you want to move into management, focus on leadership, communication, and project management skills. If you want to grow in tech, look at in-demand technical skills (data analytics, cloud, AI, product). If you want to switch to global roles, prioritize English fluency, international certifications, and networking. 2. Check Industry Demand Don’t pick a skill just because it’s trending. Go on job portals → search your target role → note the top 3 skills that appear again and again. That’s your direction. 3. Match it with Your Strengths If you hate coding, don’t force yourself into a Python course just because “AI is booming.” Growth comes when you build on what you’re naturally good at. 4. Look at ROI Time and money are limited. Will this course add a certification that employers respect? Will it help you get a promotion or a better-paying role? Will it make your profile stand out on LinkedIn and in interviews? 5. Apply & Showcase A course only adds value when you can use it in real work. Employers don’t hire “certificates,” they hire skills in action. So whatever you learn — apply it to a project, internship, freelancing, or even a personal case study. My golden rule: “Don’t chase courses. Chase clarity. Once you know your career direction, the right skill becomes obvious.” So this weekend, instead of browsing endless courses, take a pen and write: My 2-year career goal Skills I see in job descriptions I want 1 gap I need to close That will tell you what to learn next. Wishing you clarity and courage to take the next step! #CareerAdvice #FridayMotivation #Upskilling #JobSearch #CareerGrowth #LifelongLearning

When I was young, my daydreams and imagination would transport me to ancient empires and distant galaxies — all from the confines of a book at hand. Today, with a tap on a screen or a donning of a headset, AR and VR are turning those fantasies into interactive realities. Studies show that students who were taught new subject matter with these technologies have higher rates of retention and engagement. For students in remote or rural areas, AR and VR can bring the world to them. These technologies can break economic, geographical, and social barriers, offering learners in isolated regions or limited economic means the same quality of education as those more privileged. But despite the promise, ed-tech hasn’t quite transformed the educational landscape as quickly as we might have hoped. Throughout the '90s, educational theorists expected VR to be a core educational tool. Yet, even in the 21st century VR has not found a substantial footing in education. But devices like Google Cardboard hold promise, offering a more accessible entry point. Still, widespread adoption in education has been tentative. The reasons are multifaceted—cost barriers, the digital divide, implementation complexities, and a lack of robust educational content have all played a part. For ed-tech to move beyond novelty, we need solutions that address these challenges head-on. Take, for example, the initiative by Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, which aims to democratise the benefits of VR for rural education. Here, researchers are not just theorising about potential applications but actively crafting VR-enabled environments for learning complex subjects like social science, history, and the sciences. Globally, successes in specific sectors, like VR for medical training, offer templates for how VR could enhance learning. A study on the applications of VR in medical group teaching indicated that using virtual reality improves learning. A higher accuracy in medical practice by people trained through VR was reported to be 87% . These limited success stories demonstrate that when ed-tech is thoughtfully applied, it can significantly enrich the educational experience. The future of VR in education will likely be characterised by incremental adoption rather than a sweeping overhaul. As ed-tech becomes more affordable and user-friendly, and as educators become more adept at leveraging it, we may see it realise its full potential in classrooms across the world. Image source: Vection Technologies #Education #EdTech #VR #AR #technology

In the past few weeks, while conducting audits of universities, my conversations with faculty and some counsellors reminded me how overwhelming the transition from school to university can be for a learner. I often hear quiet stories of students who seemed confident but often sat alone, sharp minds slowly dimming under the pressure to fit in, toppers' groups that felt more like scoreboards than support systems. There are many more such examples. In the next 3 months, thousands of students full of hope and quiet uncertainty will soon step onto campuses. Studies show that nearly 1 in 3 first-year college students experience anxiety or depression. We still don’t talk about it enough. Having worked closely with educational institutions, and as a parent, I often ask myself-Are we truly preparing our children for the life that lies beyond grades, essays, and admissions? When my child started her higher education, instead of big advice, I shared a few simple reminders with her as some gentle truths! 1. It’s okay to say “no.” You don’t have to accept everything. Not every invite or opinion deserves a yes.  Saying “no” is not rejection. It’s protecting your time, energy, and focus. 2. Your mental health matters. Bad days happen. Don’t carry them alone. Talk to someone. Asking for help is strength and an essential life skill. 3. Don’t chase what’s popular, choose what’s right for you. Courses, clubs, electives- pick what truly excites you. NEP encourages personalised learning for a reason. 4. Find your tribe. You don’t need a big group, just a few genuine connections. Look for those who support and respect you. Build strong relationships that will be your anchor in challenging times. 5. Stay curious. College is more than exams and degrees. It’s about asking questions, exploring ideas, developing skills and growing in ways that last a lifetime. 6. Time won’t manage itself. College comes with freedom but use it wisely. Plan your week, lock study hours, prioritise rest. This is a fresh start, full of possibilities. 7. Learn how to manage digital distractions. In addition to the academic freedom, college life also comes with constant online noise. Learn when to disconnect. Set time limits for social media and don't look for validation there. 8. Build a habit of reflection. A few quiet minutes a day can build awareness. Journaling, walks, or just thinking counts. 9. You’re allowed to make mistakes. You will mess up, miss a class, say the wrong thing, choose something that doesn’t work out. That’s okay! Mistakes are part of learning, not signs of failure. What matters is how you bounce back, reflect, and grow. Be kind to yourself in the process. 10. Hold on to where you came from. When things feel shaky, remember your values, your roots, your family. They’ll guide you through more than any Google search or an app ever will. To every student entering this new phase: We believe in you. We see your strength, even if you don’t yet.