Sophomore year is an important time in your academic career.  You've had a year of classes, experiences, and relationships at SLU.  All of these things, along with your entire life to this point, speak to who you are and where you may be going.  

St. Ignatius would encourage you to pause and reflect on your freshman year.  Take some time to really think about what you have learned about yourself. What classes did you like, and why?  What classes did you dislike, and why?  What people did you spend time with, and why?  What clubs did you participate in, and why?  Think about your job, service site, internship - any experience at all - and what you learned about yourself.  It's the "why" part of these questions that will show you more of who you are and what or who inspires or motivates you to be your best self.  

Devote some time NOW to the process of discovering who you are, what you like to do, what your skills, strengths, and values are, and what all of that might mean for your future.  Many students find they need someone to guide them through this process, and that is what happens in an appointment with a career counselor.  Schedule your appointment today through EAB Navigate.  Even if you know what you want to do, confirming those plans with a Career Counselor can give you confidence going forward.

Before that appointment, consider working through this simple exercise:  

• Write down your current career goal.

• Now write down your "plan B." 

• Finally, if there were no barriers (money, talent, skills, etc.), what would your goal be? 

• Write down positive and negative aspects of each career.

• Focus on the positive aspects of each - maybe circle them.  

• Can you put more of those "positives" into your actual plan? 

Do all of this reflection with an open mind - open to seeing things you have not seen before, and allowing yourself to go different directions.  No one is going to make you act on those thoughts - at this point they are just thoughts and ideas.  You may find that you are excited about a completely different plan, and that's OK!  Now is the time to make that change if you want to, and there are people here at SLU to support you in that process!  

Create your degree by combining courses and experiences that are unique to your interests - those may include study abroad, internships, research, service opportunities, clubs and activities, leadership roles, and more!  

1. Complete all Core requirements.

2. Complete all requirements for one Major, including coursework, grades, and GPA.

3. Complete a minimum of 120 credit hours.

4. Earn a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.

5. Complete the following at SLU or a SLU approved study abroad program:  at least 30 of the last 36 credit hours, at least 50% of the major, 75% of the minor, 75% of a concentration, 75% of certificate coursework.

6. File an application to graduate before the end of the add/drop period of the semester in which graduation is intended. 

1. Explore the different majors and minors relevant to your interests by reviewing the SLU Academic Catalog.  

2. Speak with a Career Counselor, your faculty mentor, and your academic advisor about your interests and related academic programs.  

3. Follow the steps to update your academic degree as directed by your advisor.

Of course, your Academic Advisors and Faculty Mentors are here to assist you in this process.  But you have a lot of helpful information available to you online:  

• Review the Requirements and Roadmaps in the SLU Academic Catalog for your chosen major(s) and minor(s).  Can you make all of these programs fit in 4 years?  Do you have room to try out an interesting elective course?

• Review your Core requirements

• Review the most recent Core Worksheet from your Academic Advisor.

• Create a draft curriculum plan to discuss with your Academic Advisor.

Some majors have certain semesters that work best for their students to be abroad. Explore your study abroad opportunities and talk with your faculty mentor about the best time to go abroad and how that experience plays into your degree.

If you want to do research at SLU or transfer research credit to count for your degree, speak with the faculty mentor in that area.  

Check your department's website for a page about internships and research. Some departments outline who to contact for certain research interests or have a single contact for all research/internships. 

Learn all about internships - who, what, when, where, why - by meeting with a Career Counselor. Schedule an appointment thru EAB Navigate.

Wherever you plan to go after graduation, it's critical to prepare for the application process.  

If you are pre-health or pre-law, meet with an advisor in the Pre-Health/Pre-Law Office in EAB Navigate.

For graduate school, speak with the faculty mentor in that area.  

It is never too early for students planning to enter the workforce to start working with Career Services to identify which skills to build and how to market their degrees. Schedule an appointment in EAB Navigate. 

Most of these awards are intended for postgraduate use, but there are a few undergraduate programs, too.  Successful SLU applicants often begin the process in their sophomore year.  Learn more here.