When you study in college, you have to realize that this is the right time for you to increase your capacity. Academic capacity will not be enough for you to succeed in the real world. You have to improve your social, religious, and communicating skills. It is also important to build the networking. The advantages will you feel during your study and long time after you have graduated from that college. Networking will make you always acceptable wherever you are. You will have more friends than you have ever imagined before. Therefore, you need to build the networking since you are in the first year of college period.
Do not hesitate to join in social events, volunteer/community activities, lectures, conferences and career fairs. They are the place where almost all college students meet and share the latest news. You have to realize that networking is also important for improving your career and business in the future. If you want to start a business when you are in the college, you can use your networking as the place to share the business products or services. From networking you can also work together to build a new business since you are in the college. There is no negative effect of developing networking.
Hence, if you meet the professionals, business people and other college students at networking events, you are supposed to do immediate follow up. You have to make sure they know you as a person with good personality, punctuality, and capability. Again, this will be beneficial now and in the future. In each college activities such as gatherings, art show, or cultural shows, you should come and join them. Mostly, these events are free, so you can enlarge your networking with no expense.