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Resource:How to forge strong student-faculty-administration relationships

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We always hear the cliche from our parents, “It’s not about what you know, it's who you know”; however, as old as this saying is, it still rings true today. Colleges have recognized the importance of meeting other students. They stimulate this ideal by giving students icebreaker activities at their orientation weekend to meet new people. Even the RA (Resident Assistant) in charge of your dormitory unit attempts to cultivate friendships. What’s up with all of this?

The answer is ~~Peer~~ peer networking. Peer networking has become one of those new-age buzzwords colleges and employers like repeating over and over again. Fostering relationships with students at your respective university is a crucial step in the networking process. Reserving yourself to only like-minded people or people with the same major will not only limit yourself, it will also deprive you of seeing other opportunities in the future. Think of meeting different people as analogous to a diverse stock market portfolio. So go out, and meet different people. You can meet people through various mediums. For instance, LinkedIn, a social media site, has thrived off the networking binge.

Once you go out and meet new people, find students who share your similar passion. They can be younger or older than you. If they are older than you, and they’ve experienced things that interest you, ask them about it. See if there’s a possibility for you to experience those things in the future. On the flip side, once you experience insightful activities, figure out a way to “pass down the torch” to younger students. You can also directly recruit other students to eventually take your place; the utilization of transition documents is key here as well.

Connecting with faculty can often be a tricky process for students as they go about their academic career. However, those that do so earlier on often find that

There are unexpected rewards to building those relationships. For first year students, this might be an exclusive opportunity to join a prestigious organization or for upperclassmen it might look like an chance to be recommended for a new internship or job. Whatever the case, those that have built relationships all tend to feel that the faculty members really care about the wellbeing of their students. For those that are just beginning on their journey to building a relationship, the first step is to become interested. Those in the classroom, show that you care about the subject and be willing to explore the topics outside the set curriculum. You can do this by asking engaging questions that allow the professor or instructor to elaborate more about a detail. If asking a question in class is not an option, perhaps send them an email and ask it there. If there is time after class reach out to them. Let them know who you are and why you are there; begin allowing them to put a name your face.

Get involved. Put yourself in an organization. Get to know the faculty advisor. Advisors tend to be heavily connected with those across the campus and they are a great resource to have. Gradually, as you build your reputation not only will your credibility grow in the eyes of faculty but also your relationship. A benefit to this route is that the number of doors of opportunity that open are directly proportional to how dedicated you are.

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