5 things every international student should do before they graduate

31 Jan 2020

Will you be graduating soon? It must be both stressful and exciting as you anticipate your foray into the real world and wrapping up your study abroad life.

Your last semester is incredibly important, not just because you’re earning your final credits but also because it’s the best time to make sure you’re ready for life beyond graduation.

Here are five things you should do before you move out of your dorm for good:

Visit your career services centre

Participated at the University of TN Career Services’ resume blitz today, helping students excel in showcasing their fit for future career opportunities through a well written resume. We also reviewed and updated @LinkedIn profiles to utilize the resume more. #volunteer #utk 💎🖋 pic.twitter.com/GSewoxXQWE

— Taylor Sartain Recruiting (@TaylorSartainR1) January 29, 2020

One underrated resource for university students is the career services centre. If you’ve never visited, now’s the time to do so!

Career counsellors can help polish your resume, apply for internships or jobs, or connect you with important key players in your industry. Don’t miss out on this valuable resource before you graduate.

Collect references

Worked on-campus at the university library? Or maybe you did a summer research internship? No matter what type of work experience you acquired during college, it’s a good idea to collect references which can help you land a future job.

Faculty members and employers can get very busy during the end of the semester, so ask them early for a reference to give them plenty of time to write one for you.

Take photos and videos

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Happy 2nd first day of spring 2020 🎈💥 Repost from @buffalostate . . . #buffalostate #buffstate #greatidear #idsobuffalo #fallsemester #studentunion #newbengals #iambuffalostate

A post shared by IDSO (@idsobuffalo) on Jan 28, 2020 at 11:42am PST

During your time at university, make sure you’ve taken plenty of photos and videos to immortalise some of the best years of your life spent at university as an international student.

We’re not just talking about selfies, but also photos of your favourite spots on campus such as your dorm room, library and student union. It may seem ridiculous now, but trust us – you’ll be nostalgic in a few years and will want to remember your favourite places on campus fondly.

Be sure to take loads of photos with your friends as well!

Apply for your post-study work visa

If you’re plan to work after graduation, find out early on what you’ll have to do as an international student.

You’ll typically need to apply before you graduate, so make sure you have all the documents and funds ready for application fees.

Apply for jobs

Don’t wait until after you’ve graduated to apply for jobs, especially if you’ll be on a work visa. Many employers will be open to interviewing you if your resume looks good and you’ve got an anticipated date of graduation, even if you’re an international student.

Even if you don’t get the job, you’ll have some experience preparing for interviews and talking to employers which will come in useful later.

Check places off your travel checklist

Don’t miss the chance to travel before you graduate. Source: Shutterstock

As an international student, you’re bound to face uncertainty over whether you’ll ever return to your host country again.

During your breaks or long weekends, make sure you’ve travelled to certain places on your bucket list. It doesn’t have to be far or break the bank, but if there is somewhere you’ve always wanted to go, make sure you’ve done it before you graduate.