Once you have decided on a concentration and/or minor, just taking the required courses is not necessarily enough to guarantee that you are getting full benefit from your choice. With a little effort on your part, you can build upon your experience with the classroom activities and shape a total “package” of skills, activities, information and experiences that is completely satisfying.

The most important tip for getting the most out of your concentration or minor is to meet regularly with an advisor in the department. The concentration advisor will not only help you make sure you fulfill the requirements, but will also talk with you about elective courses within the department, which courses will provide experiences and skills you are seeking, and the wide variety of careers students follow who have chosen to focus in this particular area. The better the advisor knows you, the better he/she will be able to suggest courses that interest you. Also, the better the advisor (and your instructors) knows you, the more likely it is that he/she will be able to write a meaningful reference for you.

Join the student association that is a part of your department and actively participate.  These departmental clubs organize lectures and special events that add to your understanding of your chosen subject and often provide information and insight on various professions that are associated with your subject.  Such clubs also offer leadership opportunities, experience that becomes important in your life after graduation.

Familiarize yourself with special services and resources provided by the department and take advantage of them. You will find that your department offers items such as tutoring resources, special scholarships, internship opportunities, courses taught in special settings, and research and job opportunities.

Look over the elective courses in your department and try to include courses that focus on an aspect of your concentration that is of particular interest. You should also search for courses in other departments that will enhance your understanding and expand the context of your study.  For instance, someone who is interested in the politics of a particular area of the world could also look for courses connected with the history, religion, arts and economics of that same area.  These added perspectives enrich the understanding of the main topic.

Learn about the faculty of your department. You'll be interested seeking out instructors whose personal academic focus is related to your own. And, you will also want to know the academic background of your individual instructors. Besides your concentration advisor, faculty you get to know can be wonderful mentors.

Above all, make good use of office hours. Go in to chat with professors about lecture topics that caught your interest, to learn more about their own academic work, and to discuss your own questions and ideas.