Resources·Undergraduate Checklist
Undergraduate Checklist
A working checklist for all four years and the stretch right after, print it, copy it, or just work down it as you go.
Want the full fillable workbook?
This checklist is also the last section of a comprehensive downloadable PDF workbook: six core-skills modules (adaptability, problem solving, communicating for impact, relationships & well-being, digital & AI essentials, and leading without a title), each with a self-assessment and written exercises, plus this checklist as real fillable checkboxes and a personal tracking log. It's your own copy, fill it in, save it, nobody else sees your answers.
Year 1
Know your grading breakdown and GPA scale
Identify prerequisite units for your intended specialization
Join one departmental or professional student association
Volunteer for one event-organizing role
Confirm HELB loan status and disbursement schedule
Check for county government bursary schemes
Ask your department about donor-funded scholarships or fee waivers
Create a LinkedIn profile
Start a running log of projects, awards, and skills
Draft a rough first CV, even a nearly empty one
Introduce yourself to 2+ lecturers in your area of interest
Build a consistent study schedule from month one
Year 2
Choose a holiday track: research attachment, internship, or a new skill
Talk to your department's attachment/internship coordinator
If a fixed-intake track suits you better than rolling applications, ask your target institution or company directly whether it runs one and note the dates early
Apply to at least 2-3 real placements in parallel
Document the experience (methods, outcomes) as it happens
Request a reference or evaluation letter before you lose contact
Post a specific update about the experience on LinkedIn
Keep any raw data or work samples you're permitted to retain
Year 3
Identify a short-term direction (bench, field, data, policy/regulatory)
Talk to seniors about their final-year projects and supervisors
Write one literature review or summary, even unpublished
Complete one relevant certification or short course
Attend at least one conference or professional event (e.g. KASH Conference)
Start following your likely target employers or programs
Start reading Scholarships Abroad if study abroad interests you
Identify 2-3 potential recommenders and make sure they see your real work
Year 4
Agree a realistic final-project timeline with your supervisor in month one
Start writing the thesis in parallel with lab/field work
Back up your data and drafts in at least two places
Check target scholarship and grad-school deadlines (many fall before graduation)
Book IELTS/TOEFL early if a scholarship requires it
Request recommendation letters before final exams
Update your CV and LinkedIn with your final-year project
Start gathering ID, transcripts, and a Certificate of Good Conduct
Decide, at least provisionally, which of the four paths you're leaning toward
After graduation
Set a fixed daily/weekly schedule for the job or scholarship search
Set up the Application Tracker Template and log every application
Tailor your CV per sector, not per job
Watch the real hiring seasons for your target sector (see Job Search Planning)
Run the Skills Gap Test if applications aren't converting to interviews
Keep one active project (course, certification, volunteer role) running
Schedule a weekly review of what's working in your search
Schedule real rest and physical activity into the week, on purpose
Want the reasoning behind each item?
See the full guides: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, and After the Final Paper.
Reviews
No reviews yet, be the first to share your experience.
Leave a review
Leave blank to show as 'A Biodaraja user'.
So we can follow up, never shown publicly.