Students enter college for many different reasons, whether it is their parents, career ambitions, or even social atmosphere.

However, during a bad economy students need to consider more than just the end result to truly get the most out of their education. In this day and age, students — undergraduate or graduate — need to do more to achieve success than walk across the stage and grab a piece of paper.

Students like Angela Milkie, a second year writing MFA student at Savannah College of Art and Design, believe what is most important is the education that students receive prior to obtaining their degree.

“I entered the MFA program at SCAD because I enjoyed writing and I wanted to learn how to do it better, and I wanted to learn more about the writing industry. The degree itself is just a bonus to put on my resume,” Milkie said.

Although some students may enter college focused solely on the end result, the ones who get the most out of their educational experience are active students who take advantage of the opportunities and services given at their universities.

“I think that having certain degrees will make me more marketable and open more doors in the future. But the degree is ultimately a superficial means of filtration. The degree by itself is useless if you do not have original ideas, communication skills and employable abilities with which to support it,” said Priscilla Alarcon, a first year writing MFA student at SCAD. “For me, being in a degree seeking program will help advance my career by providing me with a peer support network, career resources and access to information and employment opportunities that I otherwise would not have been able to access.”

Some of the most important lessons that students learn are outside of the classroom. According to Alarcon, students are able to utilize the education they are receiving by stepping off campus and taking part in internships, clubs and organizations that fit their interests. By putting themselves in these real world scenarios, they are able to learn more about themselves and set specific future career goals.

“I have always done internships, whether for class credit, or just for the summer, because I do believe that you learn more about how to get by in life by actually getting out there and seeing what the work world is like, no matter what field of study you are pursuing,” Milkie said. “I’ve worked in offices, I’ve worked at the law school, I did internships with social service organizations. It’s just another part of the college experience that I believe is essential to learning how to make it on your own.”

Going beyond your course requirements and leaving the lecture hall can give students an added bonus when it comes to their education and their post-college job perspectives. It is no longer good enough to simply have your resume state that you received your degree. Employers are looking for workers who will stand out amongst the other applicants, they are looking for employees who know who they are and what they are good at.

“Students can be unique by focusing on areas that truly interest them, and by playing an active role in those interests to the best of their ability as circumstances allow. Educational experiences drawn from non-employment activities such as study abroad, volunteer work, internships, student clubs and student government are ways to highlight personal interests and abilities,” Alarcon said.

Having the ability to make your resume go from being just a part of a giant stack to, rather, standing alone, lies in the extra work you do outside the classroom. This work involves exploring personal interests and taking the initiative to make yourself an individual.

“Your interests help to define who you are and set you apart from the pack. Students should pursue things that interest them even if it won’t necessarily lead to a future career…it is these distinct interests that make you unique and make employers think about the unique perspective you can bring to the workplace,” Milkie said.

As the job market becomes more competitive and the amount of jobs available are slim, students need to make sure they are going above and beyond instead of just meeting the bar. We all walk away with the same piece of paper in the end, but what will you do to make sure that you go deeper than your degree?

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