Of course you are here to gain an education and earn a degree. Your transcript reflects your academic work. However, who you are and what you are capable of doing is also shaped by the out-of-class experiences you have.
Not every opportunity is listed below. This small sample is intended to get you thinking about the sorts of experiences that will expand your undergraduate education and make it more fun and fulfilling.
It’s a good idea to keep track of these experiences in the official academic folder you keep. This type of record will help tremendously when you apply to graduate or professional schools or apply for a job.
Alternative Spring Break
Alternative Spring Break allows students who want to engage in an intensive service project to spend their spring break with other MU students working on an environmental or a social issue. The Department of Student Life provides this and many other opportunities.
Health and Wellness
Student Life offers an array of programs, groups, and activities dealing with health and wellness. Whether you are looking for information and assistance, or want to offer it to others, this information will be important to you.
Honors College
Eligible students may enroll in honors classes, which are small, seminar-style courses, or they may engage in independent study or research with a professor. These experiences foster intellectual challenge, academic opportunity and close interaction with professors. Qualifications for admission, lists of classes and other opportunities can be found on the Honors College Website.
Internships and Service Learning
A student who is accepted into an internship works in one of a variety of places (in a legislator’s office, radio station, veterinarians office, etc.) and has the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge in a different setting. Most internships involve close collaboration among the employer, student and MU faculty member. Your academic adviser, the Office of Service Learning and the Career Center are a few of the places you can learn about internship opportunities.
Study Abroad
Qualified students can study in many different foreign countries for a year, a semester, a summer, or just for a few weeks between semesters. To make this study more affordable, financial aid often can be applied and some scholarships are available, and with planning it can be added to your degree plan without adding significant time till graduation. The staff in the International Center and your academic adviser will help you prepare for a study abroad experience.
Student Organizations
There are an incredible number of student organizations. Some are academically oriented. All provide you with the opportunity to meet other students with similar interests, gain some leadership experience, learn how to make connections beyond the campus, and have some fun. Check out the array of options at the The ORG.
Fun Stuff to Do
Student Life offers you a terrific Website (stufftodo.missouri.edu) at which you will find information about upcoming concerts, lectures, films, etc. Also see the University events calendar.
Tutoring
If you have strong academic skills and would like to make them stronger while learning to communicate better and acquire teaching experience, you could consider becoming a tutor. The Learning Center and the Total Person Program regularly hire undergraduates as tutors. Alternately, if you want to improve your grades and understanding of a subject, sign up for tutoring through one of these programs or check with your dean’s office to see if specific tutoring for major courses is available.
Undergraduate Research
Exciting arrays of research opportunities exist for our students. If you would like to get to know a professor in a laboratory setting and explore questions of interest to you, check out research options at the Undergraduate Research Website.