Three weeks into living in Los Angeles and I am already making new friends! I have been to the Sundowners events, Parker Q&A session on campus and a weekend beers on the beach social. I have met a ton of second year students, who have imparted great advice on life at Anderson. I was able to learn more about life during the first quarter, which can get pretty hectic with classes, recruiting and clubs / associations. It’s always reassuring to learn tips and tricks on surviving the fall quarter. A few of the advice I have heard
- Don’t try to make it out to every social gathering, it can get pretty busy and no one will judge you for not showing up to every single event
- While the Parker Career Center has already told you to spend the summer researching different industries and hone in on one, it does pay off in the end. Stretching yourself thin by exploring a wide variety of industries and companies will just mean less time spent on the area that you actually want to be in
- While grades and classes are important, also as much important is networking with companies that you are interested in and making contacts that can help you land the internship / full time job. Proper time management in both these areas is the key to success
- If you are interested in non-traditional roles like startups, plan on doing an academic internship. Even if you don’t get paid, it might help with securing a paid internship during the summer
- Finally, get ready for the journey of a lifetime and enjoy every second. Everyone around you is on the same boat as you, don’t think you are the only one stressed about classes / job interviews. At the end of the day, the culture of shared success at Anderson and the lifelong contacts you will build here is what matters
On a different note, my fellow classmates Asher Kurland, Bryan Whitmer and I share a love for the outdoors and ended up hiking Inspiration Point in Pacific Palisades. People living in Brentwood / Westwood area, it is really close, about 15 minutes’ drive. The trail has many options which can go for hours but you can do the simple ascent to the top and back down in an hour or so. Here is a selfie of us at the top viewpoint with the city on our back.
