Roadmap to Success

Roadmap to Success

This Roadmap to Success exists to equip 21st Century Scholars with the tools, mindset, and support needed to thrive academically, professionally, and personally. Each milestone is designed to foster self-awareness, build resilience, and cultivate leadership, ensuring that every scholar not only reaches college but also thrives in it.

Campus Mile Markers

Meet with your advisor to develop an academic plan. Schedule an appointment via the Student Appointment Scheduler or stop by during your advisor’s drop-in hours.

  • Explore majors, minors, and certificates that match your interests. If you are questioning your major or are an exploratory student searching for a major, use the Explore Programs online tool to prepare for the advisor meeting. View intro classes, degree requirements, and career guides.
  • Learn about your career options by exploring the Career Exploration & Student Employment's Career Communities. Learn more about majors, minors, certificates, career options, student organizations, and volunteer opportunities.
  • Interested in health, medicine, or law as a career path? Sign up for the Health Professions and Prelaw Advising (HPPLA) distribution list.

Expand your opportunities with the Student Academic Center (SAC)! Learn to balance academics and career exploration. Take advantage of the SAC’s video series, academic coaching, and college success classes. Talk with your academic advisor about enrollment in the following classes:

  • EDUC-X 150, Becoming the Best College Student: Build transferable skills in time management, studying, test-taking, comprehensive reading, effective note-taking, and critical thinking. This course will help you with time management and study strategies to help you lower stress and boost your motivation. Learn more deeply and efficiently and develop habits to overcome obstacles.
  • EDUC-X 151, Gaming for Resilience: “Level up” your emotional, mental, social, and physical resilience. Engage in class gaming activities and play SuperBetter, an evidence-based online game that is rooted in positive psychology, cognitive behavior theory, and game theory.
  • EDUC-X 152, Tackling Test Anxiety: Learn the science of powerful learning and test performance strategies so your test results better match your knowledge.
  • EDUC-X 156, College and Lifelong Learning (AKA: The Peer Coaching Course): The course has two portions. The first is in the classroom, where students learn strategies for studying, test-taking, time management, and more. The second portion is one-on-one peer coaching sessions with an academic coach to analyze your study habits and set weekly goals.

Find your community, grow as an individual, and develop as a leader!

Find research opportunities that establish faculty and student relationships in STEM science programs.

Career Mile Markers

Review your academic plan to ensure you’re on track. Discuss connecting with additional academic or personal supports as needed.

If you are interested in health, medicine, or law as a career path, meet with an advisor in Health Professions and Prelaw Advising.

Have a meeting regarding your academic plan and career goals. Discuss next steps.

Develop as an individual and grow your leadership skills!

  • Join campus clubs and organizations and take on leadership roles. Keep in mind there are paid leadership positions with the FASE program or as a resident assistant with IU Housing.
  • Consider a student or professional organization related to your future career. Many have reduced or waived fees. This is an excellent way to build your professional network and learn about opportunities in your field.
  • Check out our 21st Century Scholars newsletter for additional opportunities.

Explore your options! Talk with your academic advisor to find paths and direction in your major.

Include your growing skills and new experiences.

Find networking and experiential learning opportunities, including:

Expand your network!

  • Conduct informational interviews and company/industry research to learn about career options and build your network. Check with your school’s career services center to learn about informational interviewing, find alums you can talk to, and reserve dates for networking events.
  • Engage in job shadowing and pre-internship learning experiences. Many companies and organizations have sophomore leadership and development programs.
  • Attend career fairs, career panels, and company information sessions. Watch for our 21CS monthly newsletter, Career Canvas, and consult your school’s career services website for upcoming events.

Find programs with IU Education Abroad!

Make professional connections to gain experience and build skills! Consult with your career coach to learn more.

  • Get a part-time career-related job or find a position where you can build teamwork, leadership, communication,and critical thinking skills.
  • Use the summer for exploring leadership programs, volunteering, job shadowing, and conducting informational interviews
  • Consider experiential learning opportunities like work simulations through the TechPoint X-plore program and Forage or micro-internships through Parker Dewey. Some internships are available for sophomores.

Career Mile Markers

Review your academic plan to ensure you’re on track.

  • Discuss connecting with additional academic or personal supports as needed.
  • Meet with an advisor in Health Professions and Prelaw Advising if you are interested in health, medicine, or law as a career path.
  • Consider graduate school! Review application requirements and deadlines for admission tests.

Remember to meet early in the semester to utilize programs and services from your career service center.

  • Refine your resume and identify new skills.
  • Connect with real-world learning opportunities, job shadows, and internships to build experience.
  • Develop your internship search strategy and review the application process. Many applications begin in the fall!
  • Explore networking and practice mock interviews through your career services office.
  • Prepare for career and internship fairs.
  • Discuss graduate school with your career coach if you're considering it.

  • Join campus clubs and organizations and take on leadership roles that help you grow and stand out to future employers.
  • Consider joining a professional organization related to your future career and pursuing faculty-sponsored research experiences.
  • Check out our 21st Century Scholars newsletter and Career Canvas for additional opportunities.

Include your resume, headshot, and key information. Review and refine your digital image.

There are career and internship fairs in the fall and spring. Many start two weeks after classes begin and continue through the following month.

Practice networking with employers that you might want to intern or work for, learn more about careers and internship opportunities, and discover employers who are looking for the talents and skills you have to offer.

Keep an eye your school’s career service calendar, the 21st Century Scholars event calendar, and our Career Canvas.

Keep this opportunity in mind for the fall if you are interested in law school.

This series demystifies the law school application process, provides students with the opportunity to become familiar with the LSAT, allows students to connect with Maurer School alumni, and provides them the opportunity to connect with legal professionals.

Build your professional network and practice key job-searching skills like networking, interviewing, and researching.

  • Connect with alumni and current students who work at the companies or in the industries where you are interested in working. Access alumni networks through your career services office.
  • Conduct company and industry research and attend informational sessions and panels offered.
  • Participate in organizations and activities that offer networking opportunities and leadership, such as student-faculty mentoring programs, professional organizations, career treks, and career and internship fairs.

Look for internships, hands-on experiences, or summer employment that build your skills and network. Consider internship alternatives such as volunteering, work simulations with the Forage, and micro-internships with Parker Dewey. There are also summer global study programs with IU Education Abroad. Many summer applications open in the early fall! Check application deadlines and timelines for interviews.

Career Mile Markers

Review your academic plan with your advisor.

  • Ensure you are on track to meet all graduation requirements.
  • Discuss connecting with additional academic or personal supports as needed.
  • Meet with an advisor in the Health Professions and Prelaw Advising if you are interested in health, medicine, or law as a career path.
  • Discuss graduate school plans with your advisor.

Remember to meet early to define your search process, whether it's for a job or graduate school.

  • Prioritize and narrow down your list of companies or graduate schools.
  • Research the deadlines and admission requirements for graduate schools. Prepare for those deadlines by working with your career coach.
  • Tailor your resume and customize your cover letter to the industries that interest you.
  • Update your portfolio with research or publications as needed (required for some majors).
  • Explore companies through career fairs, information sessions, and networking opportunities.
  • Develop a plan B.

These requests need to go out early. Contact professors, employers, and advisors months in advance.

Take the GRE, MCAT, GMAT, LSAT, etc. as needed for your graduate school path.

Find opportunities that offer student and employer connections. Watch for career fairs to explore on your school’s career service calendar and/or the 21st Century Scholars event calendar.

Try to find positions that closely match your list of desired companies and industries. If graduate school is your next step, focus on completing your applications.

Stay involved on campus, especially in leadership roles.

  • Take on leadership roles in organizations that will help you grow and stand out to future employers.
  • Consider joining a professional organization related to your future career and pursuing faculty-sponsored research to learn beyond the classroom and expand your professional network.
  • Check out our 21st Century Scholars newsletter and Career Canvas for additional opportunities.

Keep consulting throughout the year to plan for your transition to professional work life.

  • Connect with IU alumni to build your professional network.
  • Evaluate job offers with the help of your career coach.
  • Review graduate school admissions and make informed choices.

After graduation, follow your dreams!

Find the path that's right for you. IU's support is with you all the way.

  • The IU Alumni Association offers career resources for Hoosiers.
  • Alumni career coaching opportunities are available through your career services office.
  • Stay connected with the 21st Century Scholars Program. We'd love to hear from you!