Making The Most of Your Collegiate Entrepreneurial Experience
By Ash Huzenlaub
Join CEO!
The first step we encourage all entrepreneurship minded students to do, regardless of whether they are business majors is to join the TCU Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization, also called "CEO". This is a great organization that attracts active entrepreneurs to speak to and mentor TCU students. The organization also competes in entrepreneurship competitions. The TCU chapter has been ranked as the #1 of its kind in the United States. Click here to sign up now.
TCU CEO attracts speakers from various business backgrounds to share real life experiences with our students. For your own benefit, it is important that you research these speakers before their presentation so that you can appreciate the stories they will share. While attending the presentations, take detailed notes of what you learn as these notes will be resources for you long past your TCU career. That is one reason why you are provided with the Entrepreneur's Survival Guide daily planner when you join... at the back of this planner you will find blank pages for taking notes while listening to speakers or interviewing entrepreneurs. It is also important to ask lots of questions when attending presentations... it is what Horned Frogs do!
Message to Freshman and Sophomores
Do not wait until your junior year to begin your business education (and specifically, your entrepreneurship education). Begin today. The more active entrepreneurs we have at TCU, the stronger our program becomes. The more peers you have that run businesses while in college, the better off you will be as you can share experiences and learn from one another. Simply because you may not be enrolled in the formal entrepreneurship curriculum is absolutely no reason not to move forward with your dreams. Get heavily involved with CEO, ask to sit in on upper level entrepreneurship classes from time to time and get a head start as soon as you can.
Read, Research, Study
Please refer to the Entrepreneur's Survival Kit on this website that are integral to your understanding and grasp of entrepreneurship. In the classroom, you will learn much about the principals and foundations of entrepreneurship. You must be proactive to couple this study with real world current events so that you can appreciate how your classroom lessons can be applied in your own entrepreneurial efforts.
It is also critical to leave no page unturned when researching industries in which you have an interest. If you are interested in working for or launching a business in the food industry for example, you should learn all you can from the "industry trade association" that provides resources about food. Often, industry trade associations have websites for you to study. Utilize the fact that you are "a student doing a research project" to obtain educational and insightful information that is publicly available whenever you call companies to ask questions. Tips also include reading annual reports of various competing companies in an industry, utilizing the news alert tools from Google to have data automatically sent to you, researching news reports via the web (and even microfiche available in the library for older stories). This is all work you should do on your own initiative, not because it has been assigned by a professor.
When you read, do not be afraid to highlight and take notes in the columns of books. This is highly encouraged so you can refer back to the literature in the future (as long as you own the document or book!).
Network, Find Mentors and Interview Entrepreneurs On Your Own
The term "network" means "to interact or engage in informal communication with others for mutual assistance or support." Your academic and entrepreneurial career will be more successful by having a network of individuals from all walks of life that you can call on for ideas or suggestions. In order to build your network, become involved in various organizations, obtain contact information of individuals you meet, develop relationships with these individuals and keep in touch on a regular basis. It is that simple.
At TCU, we encourage a "learn by doing" approach. We encourage students of entrepreneurship to simply pick up the phone and call successful entrepreneurs to request a lunch or meeting. When you call an entrepreneur, tell the entrepreneur you want to ask them questions as a student and would like to meet. If they say no, pick up the phone and call another! However, realize that CEO (Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization) members can facilitate meetings with entrepreneurs through the "CEO Advisor Program." Ask your CEO leadership or administrators in the Neeley Entrepreneurship Office for details.
When you meet with an entrepreneur, ask them what advice they have for you to be successful. What did they do right? What did they do wrong? What would they do differently if they could do it all over again? When you complete the meeting, take detailed notes of what you learned so you can refer to them in the future. Remember, note pages are included in this survival guide for your convenience. Always send the entrepreneur a hand written thank you note immediately after your meeting! If you and the entrepreneur bond, then inquire if he or she would mind meeting with you again in the future as a mentor.
Gain Experience Outside The Classroom
There is no better time to fall flat on your face in entrepreneurship than in college. We encourage you to try and try again. Regardless of the outcome of your success, you will learn more than you could if you did not try. We have had numerous students at TCU that have done such things as start student newspapers, web development companies, landscape companies, and auto detailing companies while they are students. Realize however that your grades must come first. It is important that you complete your 4 year academic track. This leads us to our next opportunity which is to master time management.
Master Time Management and Goal Setting
One of the most important things you can do upon coming to TCU is to master your time management skills. We recommend reading the book "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey. Please refer to the recommended reading section of TCUCEO.com for a quick link to Amazon.com to order the book. The principles you learn coupled with the use of this day planner will assist you in becoming a more organized student and entrepreneur.
Study Abroad
Each year across the United States, an increasing number of universities are becoming committed to Study Abroad Programs. TCU is no exception. With the continuous advance of communications and transportation options, we are learning just how small our world has become.
Regardless of whether you study abroad through programs offered in the Neeley school, other colleges at TCU, or through partnership with another university, I strongly encourage you to experience study abroad. If you can get credit for your efforts, that is great, but do it for the experience, not for the credit alone. Exposing your mind to foreign cultures will have a profound and positive long term impact on your educational experiences here at TCU. The options to study in virtually any country in the world exist from periods of 3 weeks to a full year depending on the program you select.
Programs fill up quickly, but do not despair. If you are unable to enroll in a program at TCU, learn what other university programs across the nation will allow you to join them. Do all you can to research these options early in your collegiate career (I am talking to all new freshman!), make a plan to apply, and then go see the world! You may hear from some people that you "have to wait until your junior or senior year." Ignore this jargon and find a program that will accept you as an underclassman. Search the web for "summer study abroad programs" or "Semester at Sea" and reap the rewards. And don't forget... make plans to interview entrepreneurs in the countries you visit regardless of whether or not such interviews are required. Through such interviews, you may become inspired or learn something that will assist you in your future collegiate or business endeavors.
Obtain Internships
As mentioned, at TCU we encourage every means possible that allows students to "learn by doing." The lessons learned in the classroom have much greater impact when you can actively apply them to situations you may be exposed to through internships. Be a proactive student in securing an internship. Your efforts can be facilitated by meeting with administrators in the Neeley Entrepreneurship Program about the Entrepreneurial Intern Scholars Program. The NEP office is located in Suite 309 of the Steve and Sarah Smith Entrepreneur's Hall.
Become Aware of the Entrepreneurship Curriculum
It is important that you learn about the opportunities offered within the TCU Entrepreneurship Curriculum as soon as possible. It is not too soon to ask about the requirements and begin planning your academic future before you begin your first day at TCU. Take time today to learn the course requirements, as well as electives and additional courses you can take to bolster your TCU entrepreneurship experience.
