A week into my freshman year, a student asked me, “Do you have a LinkedIn?” Though I had heard of the platform before, I had little understanding of what it was or why I needed a profile. The idea of displaying a public resume to collect connections confused me, but as I became more involved at the University of Michigan, I discovered that such activities are a large part of campus culture — all stemming from the push and pull of competition and connectivity.
It is no secret that the University is a competitive institution. Many consider it highly selective, with this year’s acceptance rate resting at about 18%. For the Fall 2024 semester, the University admitted approximately 18,900 students out of 105,000 applicants. We tend to overvalue the prestige of the institution and the honor of an acceptance, which feeds into enrolled students’ competitive drive.
Competition is the intimidating result of a highly connected campus, but it’s not always a bad thing. Only when they lead to toxic relationships and damage your interactions with others, do competition and connection become dangerous. Thus, when you begin to balance friendships with your extracurriculars this fall, it is important to separate competition in the professional field from your personal life.
Competition is complex in nature. On one hand, it serves as a means to push us to strive for more success. On the other hand, competition can be counterproductive to connectivity because of its potential to strain relationships and hinder collaboration.
Connectivity can take many forms. Technology enhances opportunities for organizations and employers to spread their influence, but students at the University ensure interconnectedness through non-technological methods as well. As you walk throughout campus, you will see flyers located on the walls inside classroom buildings and handednout by students occupying the Diag to spread awareness about different clubs and platforms.
The beginning of your time at the University will be busy, from getting acquainted with the college environment to participating in Festifall, which will familiarize you with the University’s more than 1,600 student organizations. Like many other new students, you will likely be eager to join at least one or two. Involvement on campus is important, and while there is an organizaiton for everyone, they also lead to another level of competition on campus.
Many of the clubs have difficult application processes. Some require you to write short essays that detail your passions and identities, and others — like professional fraternities and organizations geared toward post-undergrad life — require you to participate in activities that allow the members to get to know you beyond your writing.
A common misconception is that competition only manifests itself in unhealthy ways. Though it is true that competing against others has the potential to become toxic, especially if it serves as your only motivator, it can also be beneficial. Everyone is at a different place, going at their own pace, with goals unique to themselves. Yes, you should do your best to stand out; but no, you should not direct anger toward people who have just received a new internship or an acceptance into a club.
Although many students are not ill-hearted, there is still an inherent pressure involved when competing against your peers for positions that range from club leadership roles to internships. During your first semester, as you start to discover your passions, the competition is not obvious right away. For me, second semester brought on the pressure; my professional fraternity prompted me to finally make a LinkedIn profile and we started to discuss summer internships.
LinkedIn is a platform that allows for effective networking with established professionals and fellow students in order to collect connections that will enhance your opportunities. Individuals can build their profile by posting accomplishments such as newly elected positions or summer internships. The more connections you forge, the larger your network grows, ultimately better preparing you for your future endeavors. This is where the competitive edge comes in — an innate part of our being lies in wanting to be more successful than those around us.
Handshake, like LinkedIn, allows students to view job postings in their area and communicate with potential employers. An important step you can take to conquer the competition at the University is to use the many resources these platforms provide for professional advancement. It can be stressful to see your connections start to flood your feed with their achievements, but it is also enlightening, and familiarizes you with job opportunities and organization. Both Handshake and LinkedIn are platforms that you should utilize to get oriented with both organizations on campus and potential job opportunities.
Because the complexity of competition is a problem you will inevitably confront, as I did, it is important to learn now that we can moderate competition if we make an effort to feel satisfied with the outcomes we receive.
During my first semester, I was not offered positions in two organizations I wanted to participate in, although close friends of mine were. We had competed against each other at times, but we never allowed that competition to affect our friendship. We encouraged each other to make progress and did not blame one another when one of us achieved something while the other did not.
My advice is to use connectivity to your advantage at the University. Connectivity has transformed the way humans communicate by providing opportunities to make interactions between people easier. We live in an era characterized by greater connectivity than ever before, and this manifests in competition at the University. Connectivity can be rewarding if used to increase collaboration, promote ourselves professionally and learn of the endless possibilities the University and the world beyond have to offer. But it can leave you bitter if you have the wrong attitude about seeing others succeed.
No matter how intimidating competition may seem, do your best to make the most of the resources at your disposal — whether that be making a LinkedIn profile of your own or picking up flyers in classroom buildings. As you become accustomed to campus culture at the University and begin to establish your own network, you will learn the many ways that connectivity can benefit you.
Giselle Sesi is an Opinion Columnist who writes about the overlap between politics and the human condition. She can be reached at gigisesi@umich.edu.
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