Tayla’s Take: You’re A Month Into College — Now What?

The first full month of college is now under your belt. You’ve adjusted to your dorm, and your roommate is no longer a stranger. You understand the fastest routes to get to your morning classes, and you’re starting to feel like you belong on campus. Now, the air is cooling, leaves are changing, and your assignments and tests are piling up.

I remember the first semester of my freshman year so vividly—getting my bearings felt like the biggest accomplishment after transitioning from a high school with 120 students to a university with 50,000 students. I was so worried about how I would do in my classes and whether I would be successful amidst so many highly accomplished students.

I was unsure of how to make the most of my college experience.

Looking back now as a senior, one thing that has become crystal clear: your business degree is only one part of the equation. While the knowledge you gain from coursework is important, much of what defines your success during—and after—college comes from what you do outside of the classroom. It is the clubs you join, the internships you pursue, the connections you make, and the hands-on experience you gain that truly prepare you for a business career. If I could give one piece of advice to prospective students, freshmen, or a younger me, it would be to embrace the opportunities made available to you beyond the classroom as soon as possible. Jumping into everything my college years have to offer provided me with many rich experiences. As I enter my fourth and final year at the University of  Michigan’s Ross School, I want to share four tips to maximize your own time at business school.

Tip 1: Explore a Minor or Distribution Classes to Broaden Your Skill Set

One of the best ways to enhance your BBA is by diversifying your education through classes outside of the business school—like minors and general education requirements classes. For me, a minor in User Experience (UX) Design has been an eye-opening complement to my business education. I was drawn to UX Design because it combined my love for graphic design and psychology, allowing me to further those passions through the lens of business.

Business isn’t just about the numbers or strategy, it’s also about understanding people, how they interact with products and services, and how to deliver the best experience in any medium. Taking UX Design courses has given me a new perspective on how customer experience drives business success. Developing my creative problem-solving skills and a user-centered approach has given me more confidence during consulting projects. For instance, during my sophomore summer internship, I was asked to provide recommendations for improving customer compensation redemption metrics for an airline. Thanks to my UX class experience, I understood the customer’s perspective when using the company’s web-interfaces and drove stronger conclusions as a result. Whether it’s UX Design, history, education, or even a foreign language, these additional courses have broadened my horizons and helped me develop a well-rounded skill set that employers value.

UX Design might not be for you, but there are thousands of classes and dozens of minors you can explore to augment your BBA.

Tip 2: Get Hands-On Through Clubs and External Involvement

Classroom learning provides you with the foundational knowledge, but getting involved in clubs and organizations is where you’ll learn to apply it. Ross offers an incredible variety of student-led clubs (over 60 through Ross alone and 1,700+ across campus!). Each provides unique opportunities to develop leadership, collaboration, and real-world problem-solving skills.

In my sophomore year, I joined my consulting club on campus—APEX Consulting Group. I wasn’t sure what to expect, However, it quickly became one of the most impactful experiences. Through the club, I worked on consulting projects for real clients—ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. These hands-on projects taught me how to navigate real business challenges, manage a team, and present solutions to clients. My club experience perfectly complemented my academic experiences. It also gave me yet another opportunity to take what I learned in the classroom and implement it in a real-world setting.

In addition, clubs offer leadership opportunities that will shape you into a stronger, more confident professional. I joined my professional business fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi, during my first semester on campus, which offered me exposure to a variety of leadership roles that I could take part in that very semester. During my freshman year, I spearheaded our marketing initiatives. This ranged from planning and executing our recruitment theme and merchandise to maintaining our social media presence. Then, in my sophomore year, I was elected to sit on our Executive Board as Senior Vice President—running the entirety of our recruitment cycle for two semesters in a row. In this role I was tasked with planning 8 events and managing over 300 attendees. These experiences allowed me to gain more confidence in myself and advance my qualitative skill set. Even more, it provided me with experiences that became meaningful content during interviews both for internships and for full-time jobs. By stepping up to lead a team or run an event, you learn how to manage people, juggle responsibilities, and think on your feet—skills essential to any career.

Tip 3: Make the Most of Internships and Summer Activities

You have three summers throughout college to delve head-first into a new experience—whether that be a formal internship program, starting your own business, or working to save money for a future opportunity like studying abroad. For me, internships have been an absolute game-changer when it comes to complementing my education. These real-world professional roles forced me to apply everything I had learned to date and tested my ability to adapt and learn quickly.

During the summer after my sophomore year, I had the chance to work for a large airline based in Chicago as a customer experience strategy intern. Then, after my junior year, I interned in consulting in New York City. During both experiences, I was granted invaluable insights into the day-to-day operations of various industries. I had direct exposure to clients and key stakeholders, collaborated on strategy sessions, and even led part of a project by the end of the internship. These internships helped me to refine my career path. By the end of both summers, I felt all the more confident when it came to taking my upper-level courses, such as Management and Organizations, Business Law and Ethics, Business Communications, and Technology and Operations.

It’s important to note, however, that internships aren’t the only way to spend your summers productively! Whether you are studying abroad, participating in research, or even shadowing professionals in fields that interest you, there are countless ways to make the most of these months.

Tip 4: Leverage the Initiatives Through Ross for Unique Opportunities

One of the standout features of Ross is its specialized centers and initiatives. These give students access to the experiences and resources that go far beyond the traditional classroom education. These opportunities to network with industry professionals, explore specific areas of business, or even travel to major business hubs are some of the most impactful experiences available to you as a student. For me, they have completely shaped the trajectory of what I thought was possible as my future career—and supported my desire to explore a multitude of industries.

I had the chance to attend the inaugural Real Estate Trek through the Weiser Center for Real Estate. I traveled to New York City for the first time and learned from executive-level professionals at Related Companies, including one of the top real estate development firms in the country (and owned by our school namesake, Stephen M. Ross). It was such an eye-opening experience, giving me firsthand insights into how large-scale developments are managed, from financing to design to construction.

Similarly, Ross’ Och Initiative for Women in Finance provided tailored signature experiences through their Finance Trek, which took place in cities like San Francisco, New York, and Chicago. I attended the trek during my sophomore year in New York, where we received exclusive 1:1 sessions with women leaders in the investment banking, wealth management, and sales and trading fields. Contrary to what you might expect, one of the biggest takeaways for me was the realization that I was not interested in pursuing a career in finance. Having various upperclassmen tell me that it may be a career I would enjoy, I wanted to use this opportunity to put it to the test. Sitting down with Michigan alumni and asking my hard-hitting, honest questions, I was able to make the determination that this wasn’t what I wanted—something equally important when determining your career path.

Despite not choosing to pursue these industries post-graduation, I found it invaluable to have the chance to dive deep into specific industries I was unfamiliar with and explore potential career paths—an opportunity that will never be as accessible as it is in college.

Final Thoughts: Your Business Degree is Just the Beginning

When I look back at my time at Ross, the moments that shaped me the most weren’t in the classroom. The projects I worked on, the clubs I led, and the internships I pursued pushed me out of my comfort zone in a way I could have never imagined. These activities forced me to develop the practical skills like empathetic leadership and strategic communication that business classes only touch on.

I strongly recommend that you take advantage of the countless ways that Ross offers you to get involved. The beauty of these opportunities is that they allow you to take risks, make mistakes, and grow in ways that traditional coursework doesn’t always allow. By getting involved early and often, you’ll start to develop the hands-on experience and soft skills that give you a competitive edge in life.

A BBA is incredibly valuable, but the truth is that much of your learning and growth will come from what you do outside of the classroom. Regardless of how you decide to get involved, these experiences will shape you as a business professional and help you discover what you are truly passionate about.

My final piece of advice for incoming freshmen? Don’t wait! Start exploring, get involved, and make the most out of every opportunity that comes your way. By the time you graduate, you will realize that your time at Ross wasn’t about earning just a degree—it was about becoming the kind of business leader who is ready to take on any challenge that comes their way.

Bio:

Tayla Jankowski is a BBA Senior at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, originally from Royal Oak, MI. Over her three years at Michigan, she has been highly involved in the undergraduate business community. Tayla has served as Senior Vice President of Delta Sigma Pi Professional Business Fraternity, Peer Coach for the Career Development Office, Senior Advisor in APEX Consulting Club, and a Ross Student Ambassador. In the broader Michigan community, she serves on the Center for Campus Involvement Advisory Board and enjoys trying new restaurants around campus. Upon graduation, Tayla will be pursuing a career in management consulting.