Student Engagement Opportunities

Whether you're preparing for internships, applying to graduate school, building leadership experience, or planning your next steps after graduation, there are a variety of resources available to help you make the most of your time at Iowa. Students can receive campus involvement advising for student engagement, career development, research, study abroad, and volunteering and service. Your academic advisor can also help you identify experiences that complement your coursework and support your long-term goals. 

Experiential learning opportunities can help you build skills, expand your network, and strengthen your resume or graduate school application. Consider pursuing professional development opportunities such as internships, practicums, clinical experiences, other field experiences, on-campus employment, leadership positions, or job shadowing experiences. Undergraduate research, study abroad, service-learning, and community engagement can also help you apply what you've learned in class while developing valuable professional and transferable skills. The best experience is the one that aligns with your interests, goals, and available time. 

Leadership experience can be developed through student organizations, service initiatives, mentoring programs, campus employment, and professional or academic organizations. Taking on leadership roles allows you to strengthen communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and project management skills while making meaningful contributions to your campus and community. An engagement advisor can help you identify opportunities that align with your interests and goals. 

Building your network before graduation can help you explore career paths and identify future opportunities. Attend career fairs, employer events, alumni networking programs, professional conferences, workshops, and campus events related to your field of interest. Internships, research experiences, student organizations, and campus jobs also provide valuable opportunities to connect with faculty, staff, alumni, and industry professionals. 

Community engagement remains an excellent way to develop leadership skills, gain new perspectives, and make meaningful contributions. The Office of Leadership, Service and Civic Engagement offers resources to help students connect with local organizations and service opportunities. Explore their list of local service opportunities or meet with a volunteering advisor to find opportunities that match your interests and availability. 

As students progress through college, balancing academic responsibilities with internships, employment, research, leadership positions, and personal commitments becomes increasingly important. Your academic advisor can help you evaluate your course load and academic priorities, while an engagement advisor can help you assess the time commitment associated with various opportunities. Resources such as Tutor Iowa can also provide academic support when needed. 

As you approach graduation, it is important to focus on opportunities that align with your personal, academic, and professional goals. Rather than trying to participate in everything, consider which experiences will help you develop skills, deepen your interests, expand your network, or prepare for your next step after Iowa. Prioritizing a few meaningful experiences often provides greater value than spreading yourself too thin. Remember to make your well-being a priority and utilize resources available through Well-Being at Iowa when you need support.