that summer, thinking back on what i had accomplished over the course of my first year

by Nelda Weimann 5 min read

What have you accomplished in your four years out of college?

Here are 10 things you have probably accomplished in the four years you’ve been out of college. 1. You’ve entered the real world. Even if you’ve been in grad school since graduation, you’re not an undergrad anymore.

Should you continue your passionate activities during your first year of college?

It’s fine to continue a couple of activities you were passionate about during your first year of college. But also keep in mind that this is basically the last time in your life where you are not just free but expected to explore, discover, and learn, with few things standing in your way.

Is the summer before freshman year really the most stressful?

Many people don’t realize it at the time, but the summer before freshman year is basically the most stress-free summer you will have in your entire life. For many of you, high school summers have been about Getting Experience To Show Colleges You’re Not Lazy.

How do you Look Back at the past 12 months?

As the year ends, it can be a great time to look back at what you accomplished in the past 12 months. It is a good time to reflect on where you have been. As well, plot where you are going in the future.

What is a performance review?

A performance review is a process used by businesses to assess the effectiveness of their employees’ work and how it adds value to the company or organization. The goals of a performance review are to:

Why do employees get a performance review?

Company goals may change over time. A performance review allows both the employer and employee to discuss what has been completed during the last performance review cycle, assess what went well, where areas of improvement may lie, and to proactively implement needed support.

What should you communicate to your boss or manager during a performance review?

The best performance reviews happen when both parties know what is expected of them and there is alignment in what the position is being assessed on. There’s nothing more frustrating than having a performance review conducted by a manager that doesn’t fully know the duties, goals, and expectations of the role they are assessing.

What is an accomplishment for a performance review?

An accomplishment for a performance review is a quantified detail that connects a job duty to favorable outcomes you created. Accomplishments should include metrics that matter to the business.

What makes a great accomplishment for a performance review?

A great accomplishment for a performance review highlights your mastery of your job description and its duties. A great accomplishment is made up of:

Free tool to create a list of accomplishments for a performance review!

Ready to create your own list of quantified accomplishments for a performance review?

What have you accomplished in the 4 years you have been out of college?

1. You’ve entered the real world. Even if you’ve been in grad school since graduation, you’re not an undergrad anymore. And if you are working, think back to how it was for you when you just graduated.

Is it easy to break into real life?

Getting that first break into real life isn’t easy. And once you’re in a workplace, accepting the fact that you’re not a student anymore and you have to learn how to do things and then do them on your own isn’t easy either. But you did it.

Why Interviewers Ask What You Have Done To Improve Yourself In The Past Year

The main reason for asking this question is to try to find out if you are willing to improve and grow as a professional. Professional growth can mean different things because there are different ways to develop yourself.

How To Approach Interview Questions About How You Have Improved Yourself

Just like other common job interview questions, you should be prepared to answer questions about self-development and how you’re improving your qualifications. But how do you do this?

Answers To Avoid When Discussing Self-Improvement

Just like there are important aspects to focus on during a job interview, there are also answers you should avoid because they could hurt your chances of landing the job.

Job Interview Topics – Common Job Interview Questions & Answers

Below you can find a list of common job interview topics. Each link will direct you to an article regarding the specific topics that discuss commonly asked interview questions. Furthermore, each article discusses why the interviewer asks these questions and how you answer them!

3. Join college clubs and extracurricular activities

Seriously, guys. I know college is stressful, and I know that grades are important, and I know that getting that glittering 4.0 takes time and energy and effort.

4. Try at least one new thing

Some people go to college and immediately get involved with the things that they were doing in high school. It’s fine to continue a couple of activities you were passionate about during your first year of college.

5. Make sure you know where all your classes are

The first day of school is always a little stressful, but never more so than on your first day of college ever. Getting to know the campus ahead of time takes the edge off.

7. Call your parents

They love you. They miss you. They’re not having all the fun you’re having, and they’re waking up to a quiet house every day. Do Mom a favor and call her a couple times a week, and text Dad and let him know you’re alive every few days.

10. Smell the roses!

You only have four years on campus. As I’m sitting here writing this, I’m still processing the fact that I’m already done with freshman year—25% of my Hopkins experience. Whoa.

11. BONUS TIP! If you can sing, join an a cappella group!

A cappella is probably the most defining experience of my college career so far, and it’s a big deal on tons of college campuses.

What the Interviewer Wants to Know

This question is a way for interviewers to get a sense of how you tackle problems and adversity. They are also interested in your level of self-motivation.

Examples of the Best Answers

Here are sample interview answers that you can edit to fit your personal experiences and background. Notice how these responses all demonstrate desirable soft skills that employers hope to find in their new hires.

Tips for Giving the Best Response

Practice your answers. It’s a good idea to have a couple of answers in mind, in case the interviewer nixes your first reply, or the interview goes in a direction you don’t anticipate. Regardless, you should devote some time to practice interviews before you meet with the hiring manager.

What Not to Say

Don’t mention a significant challenge you failed. Don’t mention an important failure (like flunking a class) or use any sort of example that would raise a red flag with your employer about your reliability, ability to focus, coachability, or work ethic (like, “I had to miss a lot of classes”).

How to answer a question in a question?

In your response, you'll want to: 1 Show that you're an active learner and won't require too much hand-holding 2 Share your strategy for getting questions answered 3 Demonstrate how you'll be able to quickly add value 4 Show that you understand what's involved in the role

How to be productive at work?

Your Independence: You'll want to show that you'll take an active approach to learning your role without burdening your supervisor, and point out that you'll make it a priority to be productive within your first few days on the job. Keep in mind that frequent interruptions by new staff can be frustrating for managers.

Get Our Job Interview Questions & Answers Cheat Sheet!

FREE BONUS PDF CHEAT SHEET: Get our " Job Interview Questions & Answers PDF Cheat Sheet " that gives you " word-word sample answers to the most common job interview questions you'll face at your next interview.

3 Sample Answers

Here are a few sample examples of how someone might answer the question “What are you most proud of?”

Putting It All Together

So there you have it, how to answer “What are you most proud of” and make it relevant to the job you’re applying to…no Skittles required!

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