Whether in the classroom or on the job, in the autumn everyone is in the “Back to School” mode. This is the time of year when you have to leave summer behind, get organized and down to business. For those of you in the classroom, the several projects have probably been assigned, and we imagine some of you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed. Each year and every new class offers the chance for a fresh start and an opportunity to think about what you did before and how you can be better this time. Does this make you think about your GPA” We bet some of you were already thinking about grades on the first day of class.

(If you tend to be grade focused, then take a minute to read or re-read Making The Grade, a past article of ours.)

While we know it is hard to ignore the impact of a grade, we also know that if you change your focus you will reap a greater reward. So think about some of the mistakes you made last year or in a previous class, did you learn anything” By paying attention to feedback from your instructors, suggestions from guest speakers and learning from mistakes you made previously, you can become a stronger designer and better prepare yourself for the professional world.

Don’t Wait Until The Last Minute

When was the project assigned” When did you actually start it” Did you wait until the week before it was due” If you wait until the last minute because, “I work best under pressure.” Think again.  When working under a time crunch, computer issues, personal commitments and other factors can impact your focus and project success. Or you rush around to find samples and solutions that aren’t quite right but will have to do.

Due dates and deadlines are a part of school and a part of life. Learning how to manage your time and minimize procrastination while you are in school will greatly benefit you when you are on the job. When you get your assignment try to create a plan of attack. Think about each step you need to take and the amount of time it will take you to complete each phase in order to complete the project on time…maybe even early. Learning how long it takes you to research, space plan etc… will benefit you in the real world.

This time – start earlier.

Measure Twice, Order Once

This may apply more to students with jobs already, but school is the perfect place to get practice and become efficient with this task. Trust us – proper measurements and quantity counts will save you many headaches. Incorrect measurements of walls, fireplaces, room sizes etc… can lead to custom furniture that is too large, artwork that is out of scale or not enough flooring ordered to complete the installation!

Or think about not counting the proper number of connectors needed to put panel systems together or not properly counting the signage needed for an entire hotel. Ask an experienced designer about a measuring or quantity mishap…we are pretty sure everyone has a story to share.

Measure twice. Double-check those counts. Have a colleague check your work. You only want to order once.

Know Their Names

As we have said before, now is the perfect time to start networking. Taking the time to make connections with professionals while you are in school will support your success upon graduation. Part of that success starts with one simple task – learning names. Whether you are looking to get in touch with a professional for a school research project, or are looking for an internship, you want to make sure you know the name of the person you want to meet and the name of the company they work for…and how to pronounce both.

You want to start off on the right foot with someone, and you would be amazed and how people ruin that first impression with a little mispronunciation. If you don’t know, then ask someone. And especially be careful if you are not sure if a name is male or female.

Do your research and get it right. We promise it will make a good first impression…and save you from some embarrassment. Trust us – we know.

Make The Extra Effort – Don’t Be Too Busy

Everybody is busy. Ask people how they are doing, and they will tell you they are busy. And students are busy too. Some in fact are juggling school, work, families and a million other things. But, your success post graduation depends upon you taking the extra time and making the extra effort.

If you have a guest come to class, take the time to send the person a handwritten thank you note. You will be remembered. If your instructor offers extra credit or suggests doing something to enhance a project. Do the work. You will be remembered.

If there is a scholarship to apply for or contest to enter, do it. You can’t win if you don’t participate. And simply by participating you can be remembered by someone who is judging the submissions.

Remember that everyone is busy…so you are setting yourself apart just by participating…and you just might win. If there is a networking event, go. You will meet new people and be remembered.

Taking the time and making the extra effort will pay off.

Jenny Schrank, Allied ASID, and Aga Artka, Allied ASID, LEED AP, work together to educate and motivate young design professionals to take charge of their lives and build careers of their dreams. They started a career building newsletter and are working on a career development publication, which is planned to be released in 2014.

Sign up for a monthly series of The Career Hungry newsletter. Don’t wait another day!