graduation

Get Ready to Graduate!

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Graduate smiling and holding balloons at graduation

For a number of you, it’ll soon be time for celebrating your achievements at Ulster with friends and family at graduation! You’re busy with finishing your current classes and getting ready for life as an Ulster graduate, but don’t forget about graduation itself. Here’s a few important things to keep in mind.

Apply for Graduation

The deadline for your graduation application is March 2, 2018. If you don’t submit the application, you cannot attend graduation or receive your diploma on time. Make sure it’s submitted by the 2nd, and check its status afterward!

Attending the Ceremony? Get Your Gear!

The deadline to order your regalia generally comes within a month or two after your graduation application. In order to attend graduation, you will need to dress in the basic regalia, but you will also have the option to purchase added tassels and sashes if you are in a special club or are an honors student. All parts of the regalia are purchased through the bookstore.

Attend the Practice Ceremony

A few weeks before graduation, there will be an information session for you to attend that will explain what will happen on graduation day. It’s important that you attend this, as you will learn how the graduation will proceed, find out where you should be at certain times, and get your last-minute checklist for what you will need.

Don’t Forget the Diploma

On graduation day, you receive your diploma cover, but not the actual diploma. That shows up at the registrar’s office in mid-June, whether you went to graduation or not. Don’t forget to make sure you receive it. You can stop by the registrar’s office to pick it up or have it sent to you, but make sure you specify in case you’re moving or won’t be at your mailing address after graduation. The diploma cover is no fun without the diploma inside!

Tips For Transferring from Community College to University

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Diorama of a college campus

Right now, many of you are getting ready to graduate and then go on to a four-year school. You might be feeling overwhelmed by the selection and application process, but even if you haven’t been planning your transfer since you started here, there’s still time and plenty of options! Read on to learn about what you can do (starting now, before your last semester begins!) to ensure the next two years are as successful as your time at Ulster has been.

Talk with Your Advisor and the Transfer Advisor

No matter when you plan on graduating, it’s wise to have a conversation with both your individual advisor and Ulster’s transfer advisor, Kate Smith. Discuss your options, make sure your credits are on track, and get tips from both advisors on what schools could be good for you and your major. This can get you started on the decision-making process and can offer good leads to schools you may not have considered. Remember, academic advisors are available during their office hours year-round; you don’t have to wait for the narrow window of registration to have a chat with them about your plans! In fact, they often prefer you don’t wait until then. To get in touch with the transfer advisor, email smithk@sunyulster.edu or stop by her office in VAN 119M.

Find Some Great Schools

If you aren’t sure yet where you want to go, do some research! For further tips on how to find your match, check out this post on discovering your perfect school. Most importantly, be sure you check each school out carefully. You should always visit if you can. Remember to apply to several schools you’re interested in attending, so you have some options when the time comes to make your decision.

Make Sure Your Credits Transfer

Ulster has articulation agreements with many schools and also offers SUNY Guaranteed Admission to schools within the SUNY and CUNY systems. That said, you should still check to make sure your credits transfer properly! Knowing ahead of time if one school on your list will take an extra semester to graduate from can make a huge difference in your decision (and save you time and money). You can often find lists on school websites of class credits from other institutions that transfer to theirs. You can also ask someone at the transfer school to look over your credits to get a more personal analysis.

Know What Financial Aid Will Be Available

While it’s easy to find the annual tuition cost at an institution, that price doesn’t figure in your financial aid, including federal aid and transfer scholarships you may receive if eligible. Make sure you know how much you will be getting beforehand, so you know what, if any, you will realistically be paying out of pocket during your time at the school. If they are not offered up front, ask someone at the transfer school about scholarships you can apply for. And don’t forget to apply for scholarships here before you go! Scholarships offered through the Ulster Community College Foundation can usually be sent to other schools if the student is in their final semester at SUNY Ulster and intends to transfer.

4 Ways to Find An Internship.

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Woman writing in notebook and looking at laptop

As the winter recess approaches you may find yourself thinking that this is the perfect time to consider getting involved with an internship. Here at SUNY Ulster you can earn college credit while participating in the Student Internship Program. To get involved in the Student Internship Program you must have at least a 2.0 GPA and 30 college credits completed, or by permission of the fieldwork coordinator. For further information, contact Linda Farina, Office of Fieldwork and Internships, farinal@sunyulster.edu

You can also check out our Internships page Here:  http://www.sunyulster.edu/student_handbook/internships.php

An internship is not only a beneficial addition to your resume but can also be a fulfilling personal experience as well. Gaining knowledge, building your skills profile, and expanding your network field are all crucial elements in creating the best opportunities for yourself as you continue your success after SUNY Ulster.  

*Important Tip* When reaching out to potential internships put together a resume and a short pitch/ cover letter can help you to appear direct, and respond to your potential internship. Be prepared to have to communicate with people as to why you are deserving of this opportunity.

3 Additional Ways to Find An Internship.

Talk to People You Know.

When it comes to looking for an internship you may find yourself thinking “Where do I even start?”  The answer may be right in front of you in your sphere of influence. Start by asking your professors if they are aware of any opportunities that are available.

Another way to reach out to people you already know is sharing with your friends on social media (Like Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin) that you are looking for this new venture. You may be surprised by what leads and resources your friends and family have to offer.

Online Websites.

Online job sites like Indeed.com, Monster.com, https://regionalhelpwanted.com are not only for looking jobs! With the websites listed above, you can either use the “Internship” tag or search “Internships” in the website’s search engine. Here all active opportunities are filtered and listed as specific, or unspecific as you would like!

Create Opportunities For Yourself.

Make a list of 5 to 15+ potential places that you can see yourself working in your local area. Research the best contact information for all of these places- and do what is known as a “Cold Contact”. Be professional and friendly while letting them your objective, when you can start, and all the important information they need to know when considering you as a potential intern.

You are capable of manifesting your own opportunities that could in turn into an employment position for you.