This is my second semester here at Washington University. I am a freshman. Since mid-August, when I arrived for my pre-orientation program, I have attended more than six panels. For those who do not know, a panel is where a general idea is introduced, such as navigating through college or finding a summer job/internship/activity, and a group of typically four students, mostly juniors and seniors, answers questions about its collective experiences. At first, attending this was very worthwhile. I always felt like I learned something from the panel’s experiences—finding out what clubs are worth joining or how to get past the stigma attached to Greek life and try rushing anyway. But they quickly became excessive.

Each panel felt like an iteration of the last. Four students would valiantly sacrifice their time, with good intentions, to try and aid those of us new to the inner workings of the college world. The problem is that every story seems to boil down to this: try out lots of different classes to find your major, even if you think you already know it; join a variety of clubs and give them each a chance before deciding which you will spend the next four years doing; and find a happy balance between working hard and playing hard so that you are happy inside and outside the classroom. Initially, this advice was insightful and helped build self-confidence. However, it quickly felt like a waste of time. There are only so many times you can hear the same question be answered. There are only so many questions to ask. There are only so many times you can listen to the same experience be mentioned.

Recently, I attended an event hosted by the Career Center. Admittedly, I neglected to read the actual description of the event. As you can guess, it was a panel. And it was exactly as I remembered them. The most I got out of this event was putting my name on an email list and filling out a form with personal information saying that I was interested in a summer internship. Again, upperclassmen had donated their time to informing their fellow students. Again, there seemed to be a repetition of stories. Unfortunately, I did not feel like I had really gained anything out of the hour I spent in College Hall at the event except for a cup of hot chocolate. I felt like I wanted guidance and resources, not stories, and that none of the events that I had been able to find actually aided this route of my endeavors.

This past Monday, Feb. 17, I had a meeting scheduled at the Career Center. I was meeting with a young woman to review my resume for applying to summer jobs and internships. She helped me brainstorm ways to make it look prettier and more organized, which proved to be a valuable use of 20 minutes. Even more importantly, she gave me directions on how to navigate the Career Center website and specific links that would help me find opportunities through both Washington University and other colleges with which we network, her example being New York University.

What I got was partially what I was looking for. I received guidance toward where I can find summer opportunities. I received help in making myself more eligible for these opportunities. In hindsight, I realize that what I was looking for—help in finding precisely what opportunity I would like to pursue—was in fact far too much to hope for. However, her help was a great start, functioning as a serviceable stepping stone. I never felt quite this aided from a mere student panel.

I do not mean to belittle student panels. They serve a function and help with adapting from home life to college life, becoming more social and becoming more involved on campus. However, there seems to be too many of them. Rather than a panel, a presentation could be made. It would consist of showing how to find, and where to get, the information one is looking for, be it in the Career Center or anywhere else. As the presentation develops, students would intermittently explain their stories in interacting with these tools, serving as testimonials. This sort of setup would accomplish every goal of the panel while enlightening newer students about the resources available to them and providing guidance that a panel never felt like it delivered.