Make the most of your first year at university

There are lots of opportunities to learn new things and gain employability skills during your first year. While finals are a long way away, getting stuck into uni life will help you launch your career when you graduate.

Your first year at university is a unique learning experience... inside and outside the lecture theatre! While you get settled in, make friends and enjoy yourself, you can also be picking up useful skills and experience that will help you later on, whether you want part-time work to get some extra beans or you're applying for bona fide work experience placements and graduate jobs.

More expert advice for freshers and first years: download a free copy of TARGETjobs First

Ways to make the most of your first year at university

Join societies and clubs Let's face it, when else will you get a chance to join anything from the debating society to the debauchery society? You can find details of these at your freshers fair, or if you're feeling especially ambitious you could start your own.
Get involved with the Union Whether it's student politics, organising club events or even working at the Union bar, your Student's Union can give you the opportunity to get involved with many things. Watching Neighbours every day is great, but you'll remember being involved with these things for much longer than you'll care about any Aussie soap storyline.
Get a part-time job For a start, you won't have your social life dictated to by the arrival of the beloved student loan cheque. But as well as being yet another way of making new friends, it will also show future employers that you have experience of a working environment and have a mature level of independence.
Get some work experience If you've got a particular career in mind, or just want to try something out, you could apply to a company for work experience. Be it two weeks at a magazine or a formal placement over the summer with a top IT company, your CV will eat it up like manna from heaven. Keep track of all the skills you develop along the way: download the work experience tracker from targetjobs.co.uk.
Use the resources available It's never too early to start getting an idea of the careers that may suit you. Visit your careers service, talk to your tutors and check out the careers advice on this site. Pick up free material and publications from your careers service, including TARGETjobs sector titles, offering sector-specific careers advice, and the more general TARGETjobs magazine.
Attend careers events These include employer presentations, fairs and other activities organised by your careers service - start early so that you have a head start.
And remember your degree doesn't dictate your career! Keep in mind that 40 per cent of graduate employers don't ask for a specific degree subject, so don't feel too restricted by the course you chose to study.

Pick up useful employability skills along the way

Graduate employers look for well-rounded applicants with a range of skills. Pick these up as you go and any part-time and final-year job hunting will be heaps easier.

Communication (written and oral)
Example: any of your essays, dissertations or project work at university as well as oral communication skills that you may have picked up dealing with customers on summer jobs.

Team player
Example: could be anything from team sports to playing in an orchestra, or from a drama group to being a member of your university debating team.

Problem solving
Example: any degree subject is good evidence of an analytical mind. However, you could probably describe a problem encountered at work (a last minute hitch with the suppliers) that required you to think carefully about a solution and the potential effect it could have on your deadline, budget or resources.

Multitasking
Example: as a Student's Union steward you might be responsible for ticket collection, health and safety, maintaining order, first aid or dealing with aggressive students. The ability to deal with all of these at the same time is a good example of multitasking.

Ability to meet deadlines
Example: you juggle your two essays and three pieces of coursework to be completed by the end of the week by planning your time carefully (and allowing extra time for social activities!).