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Why Does Rensselaer Need Your Support?
Alumni participation influences our rankings in U.S.News and World Report. Our overall alumni participation rate was just 24 percent last year, far behind our peer institutions like Rice, Duke, and Dartmouth. By participating today, you will have a positive effect on our rankings while influencing the value of your degree. Click here to learn more about our recent rankings, and how Rensselaer was named one of the 25 “New Ivies!”
Your participation matters! Rensselaer needs your support at any level—$10, $25, $50—every gift counts.
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Hindsight 20/20
If I knew then what I know now...
A New Young Alumni Program
We asked young alumni to give advice to current students on what they would have done differently if they could do it all again. Here is what some of them said.
"Make sure you're comfortable with where you are moving to (especially if it's far from home / RPI). Visit the area first and try to meet people before you go. Other RPI alumni are ALWAYS a great resource and more than willing to get you acquainted with the area and provide introductions to more people. NETWORK NETWORK NETWORK."
"Always remain positive and work your hardest. Even if your first job doesn't work out, burnt bridges can easily lead you back to living with your parents without a job."
- Nathaniel Bobeck '05
President of Lambda Chi Alpha, Red and White, and Summer Orientation Advisor/Coordinator, Phalanx |
"Follow your heart and your life's passion while you're in your early 20s...take risks while the only person depending upon you is you...the degree you get when you're 21 does not have to determine what you do in life."
"Call in sick to work every once in a while and go to the museum or play tourist for the day.
(never taking your sick days or vacation days usually doesn't determine your success at work)"
- Erica R. Kulesza '99
Grand Marshall, Alpha Gamma Delta, Crew Club, Phalanx |
A few tips...
"If your car isn't broken, don't fix it. A new car seems appealing, but it's not a necessity when you're trying to start from stratch.
Don't compare yourself to your close peers to measure your level of success. Everyone takes their own route, so just keep working hard!"
- Sondra Sherman '05
Captain of the Women’s Ice Hockey Team & Women’s Field Hockey Team, Phalanx |
"I would say one thing that is very good to do is to keep in contact with all the people you met at RPI. RPI has sooo many resources and smart people connected with it, I would recommend staying in touch with those people that you knew in school.
Many seniors are anxious to leave college in a hurry, and to be honest it’s not a bad place to be, I run into RPI grads all the time, that I never knew in school. It’s good to have a number of contacts all over the country. I know people that I graduated with that are spread out from coast to coast and you never know where you will end up, if even for a weekend trip....
I know it sounds silly but Facebook is actually a good resource for keeping in touch with those people. You never know where you're going to need that person! Good luck and Congratulations!"
- Bryan Geiger '06
Red & White Student Organization, Swim Team, Resident Director, Professional Leadership Program
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"Your degree doesn't have to determine what you do! Remember that time you took a Psych or a Lit course on a whim? You may not feel it now, but those skills you learned and those thoughts you had while working outside of your comfort zone are going to fit into your life.
The surprising challenge of this adulthood you're about to walk into is a new kind of social isolation. Make friends both at and outside of work. Remember, your best friend isn't just down the hall anymore.
Learn humility: Be a good citizen. Be diplomatic. Accept that everyone, EVERYONE, knows something that you don't yet know."
- Alex Salinsky '07
Delta Phi President, Professional Leadership Program, 2007 Class Correspondent |
"Always have a plan B - whether this be a small savings account or extra insurance - the hardest thing I learned was cheapening out on insurance plans (i.e.) renters, your new computer, is not a good idea."
- Elisha Waz '07
Red & White President, Residence Life, Pi Beta Phi |
"Watch your money. It’s yours, but keep track of what you spend it on, you will be amazed at how much money you can waste without knowing it. And as hard as it may be with loans and such, at least put enough money into the company 401(k) to get the maximum matching from them. If you put away money at 22, you will be set at 65.
Network with everyone you can from RPI. If you were in a club or a fraternity, find alumni in the area, even if they are much older, to have a drink with and get to know the area.
The job you take out of RPI will not be the job you retire from, but some of the people you meet at your first job may very well be people you work with for long stretches of your career. Don’t burn any bridges."
Enjoy yourself.
- Tom Jurus '83
Delta Phi Fraternity |
"Buy a house as soon as you can. If you can't afford a house, start with a condo or a townhouse. It is a lot of money, but it is always a good investment and appreciates over the long run."
- Cynthia Hansen '97
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"Don't look at the Money,
Don't look at the Job Title,
But look at the Job Content"
I got this advice myself from my own CEO at the time. While money will certainly be an issue, don't run after it but concentrate on what you would like to do and plan yourself where you would like to be in 10 years time in terms of position, salary, and personally. Job titles usually are a way of having to pay you less. It's only job content that keeps you motivated in the long run.
Networking is important. You would be surprised which people you run into years later and what they are doing. Also important is not to burn bridges behind you.
Be yourself, but consider other people and practice social and communication skills. Which means sometimes to control your ego and emotions.
- Willem L. Gijsels MSME '92
Outing Club
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Tell current students what you would do differently!
We would like to hear from you about what you would have done differently after graduation. For example, maybe you wouldn’t have bought that expensive car, or you would have taken advantage of the time before your job began to take a trip. Would you have started saving for a house sooner, or paid off that credit card faster? Maybe you would have purchased a diploma frame before you left RPI. Whatever advice you would give to the current students, we want to hear it so we can post it either in print or on the alumni Web site for the students read.
Please tell us in 50 words or less what you would have done differently after graduation and why. Also, please let us know what student activities you participated in on campus in order to help students identify with you a little easier.
Send your submission to Michael O'Neill at oneilm2@rpi.edu.
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