Networking
You have been building relationships and connections all your life. In fact, you were born into a set of social and cultural norms, behaviors, and shared values sometimes referred to as "social and cultural capital." You inherited social and cultural capital from your parents and their position within their community. You were socialized to the cultural tastes, knowledge, values, and norms of your family and your community as you slowly began to develop relationships with the people around you.
Social and cultural capital are assets that you can keep, enhance, change, and develop over the course of your lifetime. When we talk about our "social network," we are usually referring to a web of connections and interactions with people who are often related to us by family or friendship. We use these connections and interactions to obtain help, gain and share information, exercise influence, and form alliances to better our lives. College is a great time to expand and build on the social network you already have. Those relationships form the basis of networking.
When many people hear the word "networking," they don't necessarily think of the people they rely on for company, emotional support, and financial assistance. In fact, some people cringe when they hear the word "networking" because it conjures up images of having to introduce themselves to and carry on small talk with complete strangers.
