Activity Ideas

Below is a list with many options for you to consider during your free time, or when classes are not in session.

Meet with an Expert

• Smith School Career Coaches want to meet with students directly! Sign up, via HireSmith, for a career coaching appointment with one of the six talented graduate coaches to prepare for recruiting and finding employment post-graduation! Coaching appointments are available year-round.
• Smith School faculty are frequently willing to make themselves available to current students to discuss topics related to their expertise, or to provide guidance. Many faculty have office hours or are willing to accept an invitation from students to join them for conversation and coffee.    

Learn Something New

• Complete LinkedIn Learning courses (all UMD students have free access--see login instructions)
• Expand your thinking about diversity and inclusion:
  • Seeing White podcast
  • MEN podcast
  • Important Topics in Black History from Harvard Business Publishing Education 
• Sign up for a UMD class outside of your degree program to build your skills or pursue personal interests; review course offerings in Testudo (please get clarity about whether or not courses count toward degree requirements from your MPO academic advisor)
• Receive online services, resources, and instruction from the UMD Online Library
• Improve your financial modeling skills by taking a class with Wall Street Prep
• Complete the Bloomberg Market Concepts course to increase your knowledge about financial markets (students that do not have an existing Bloomberg Terminal login can request free access)
• Watch YouTube videos to build technical skills relevant to your major or career interests
• Coursera offers free online courses in a wide range of subjects
• Codecademy provides free courses for several programming languages, data science, and web development
• Khan Academy has lessons and tutorials for math, science, engineering, humanities, and more
• Duolingo provides free language learning
• Plan or attend a virtual Hack-a-thon
• Keep up to date on Smith School faculty research through the Smith Brain Trust
• Read books recommended by Maryland Smith faculty and staff
• NPR’s Book Concierge
• Investigate faculty whose research interests you--read their scholarly work and learn about their current research

Prepare for Certification Exams

• APICS Certifications
• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
• Financial Risk Manager (FRM)
• SAS

Provide Service

• Create your own tutorials to share helpful tips or demonstrate technical skills for your major with your classmates
• Subtitle and translate TED Talks to bring ideas to others
• Volunteer to translate with Translators without Borders
• Make a global impact by volunteering virtually with the United Nations
• Transcribe historical documents for the Smithsonian
• Volunteer to create social change via DoSomething
• Browse volunteer opportunities based on cause area and skillset at Catchafire
• Use your marketing, tech, HR, strategy, or finance experience to provide consulting work to a nonprofit organization via Taproot Plus
• Use HeroX to help companies find innovative solutions through crowdsourcing
• Provide project-based work on Freelancer or Upwork

F1 students: please review Unpaid Work guidelines from ISSS for clarify around volunteer eligibility. 

Expand your Network with Other Students, Professionals and Alumni

• Read 7 Tips for Building a Strong Professional Network
• Set up and prepare for an informational interview
  • Read 5 Tips for Non-Awkward Information Interviews
  • Read How to Get the Most Benefit From an Information Interview
  • Read 32 Good Informational Interview Questions to Ask
• Go to a Meetup to meet new people with similar interests
• Ensure your LinkedIn profile is up to date, and network with personal introductions to alumni and others you want to connect with
  • Target 2/5/10 reach out emails per week
  • Turn LinkedIn connections into 1-3 phone or online conversations per week
  • End your semester with 3-5 strong advocates
• Explore professional organizations related to your degree program and learn about online events, upcoming future conferences, discounted student memberships, and educational resources
  • Read How to Join a Professional Organization or Association
  • ALPFA – Association of Latino Professionals For America
  • Forte Foundation
  • Accounting
    • GWSCPA – The Greater Washington Society of CPAs
    • NSA – National Society of Accountants
    • IIA – The Institute of Internal Auditors
    • Ascend
    • AICPA – Association Institute of Certified Public Accountants
    • AAA – American Accounting Association
    • NABA – National Association of Black Accountants
    • IMA – Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)
  • Analytics
    • DAA - Digital Analytics Association
    • IIBA – International Institute of Business Analysis
  • Consulting
    • Institute of Management Consultants USA
    • Society of Professional Consultants 
  • Finance and Risk
    • CFA Institute
    • GARP – Global Association of Risk Professionals
    • American Finance Association
    • Financial Management Association
    • American Economic Association
    • Eastern Finance Association 
    • Association of African American Financial Advisors 
  • General Management
    • American Management Association
    • Institute of Certified Professional Managers (ICPM)
  • Human Capital
    • Association for Talent Development
    • HR Leadership Forum
    • National Human Resources Association
    • Professionals in Human Resources
    • Society of Human Resources Management
  • Information Systems
    • AIS - Association for Information Systems
    • CompTIA - Computing Technology Industry Association
    • ISSA – Information Systems Security Association
  • Marketing
    • AMA – American Marketing Association
    • DAA – Digital Analytics Association
    • Insights Association
  • Supply Chain
    • CSCMP – Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals
    • Association for Supply Chain Management
    • ISM – Institute for Supply Management

Be Well and Reflect

• Keep moving and connected to other active Terps with RecWell
• Meditate with the Health Center
• Review CDC's Mental Health guidance 
• Create a GitHub of projects and writing samples that can be shared with future potential employers
• Apply positive psychology by reviewing 87 Self-Reflection Questions for Introspection