Self-Paced Course

College by Design

Too many students drift through college — graduating with no direction and unprepared for the working world.

College by Design gives you the playbook to take control from your first semester. You’ll learn how to explore paths, focus on the right opportunities, and build the kind of skills and experience that make employers and grad schools say 'yes'.

Explore majors and careers with confidence:

Learn how to test-drive paths early — so you can build toward a future that feels meaningful, motivating, and aligned with your strengths.

Identify high-ROI actions that open doors:

Not every activity in college pays off — learn to focus on the ones that build real skills, a strong network, and lasting career momentum.

Build real skills and experience (not just GPA):

Develop practical skills and relevant experience that give you a real edge in landing the internships, full-time roles, and grad school admissions you actually want.

About the course

College is an investment — and an expensive one.

Students pour in time, money, and effort. In return, they gain access to campus resources, alumni networks, employer events, professors, student organizations, and more.

But here’s the problem — with so many options, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

Which opportunities actually move the needle? And how do you make the most of the ones that do?

College by Design is a 10-module course built for high school seniors and first-year and sophomore college students who want to make college count from day one.

It teaches the mindsets, tactics, and actions that lead to long-term results — career clarity, personal growth, and real-world experience that gets them hired (or accepted to grad school).

Students will learn how to:

  • Explore majors and career paths with purpose — not guesswork

  • Focus on high-impact opportunities that open real doors

  • Build a foundation of skills, experience, and connections that lead to target internships, full-time roles, and grad school admissions

All through a simple, personal strategy to make every semester count.

For students unsure where to start, or worried about wasting time, this course provides clarity, structure, and a step-by-step roadmap. No fluff. No jargon. Just what works.

Created by a first-generation college graduate and career educator who’s led workshops at 35+ universities (including UCLA, Cornell, and UT Dallas) and helped hundreds of students land competitive internships and job offers, College by Design gives students the strategy most never get until it’s too late.

(Primarily designed for students entering college or in their first two years, but valuable for any student ready to start making strategic moves.)

We also license College by Design to high schools, colleges, and community-based organizations.

Email us to learn more: inbox@thestrategicstudent.com

Curriculum

14 Modules | 60 Lessons

  • Welcome to College by Design

    How to Use This Course

    Why I Built This Course

  • Why So Many Students Still Feel Lost by Senior Year

    College by Design (v. Default)

    Hard Work Isn’t the Differentiator

    Reality Check: Why a Degree Alone Won’t Set You Apart

    Your turn: Default v. Design Check

  • College as an Investment

    Why Am I in College?

    Same Degree, Different Returns

    Reality Check: Good Debt vs. Bad Debt

    Your turn: My College ROI

  • Exploring with Purpose

    How to Explore Careers

    Reality Check: Changing Direction

    Your Turn: Explore with Purpose

  • A Career-Ready College Graduate

    Building KSEs

    Reality Check: Skills > GPA

    Your Turn: Reverse-Engineer Your KSEs

  • Building Credibility

    How to Vet Opportunities

    Stacking Knowledge

    Stacking Skills

    Stacking Experiences

    Reality Check: Experience is No Longer Optional

    Your Turn: Build Your First Rung

  • Time and Habit Design

    Designing for ROI

    Reality Check: Protect Your Bandwidth

    Your Turn: Align Your Actions

  • Beyond the Syllabus

    Choosing Classes and Professors

    Reality Check: Faculty as Mentors

    Your Turn: Design Your Classroom ROI

  • Leveraging Campus Resources

    Student Organizations

    On-Campus Roles

    Reality Check: Career Readiness Through Campus Involvement

    Your turn: Map your campus capital

  • Building Your Social Capital

    Maintaining an Active Network

    Informational Interviews

    Employer Events

    Reality Check: Rule of 7

    Your Turn: Build Your Personal Board of Advisors

  • Telling Your Story

    Showing Up (Online And Offline)

    Practicing Storytelling

    Reality Check: First Impressions Matter

    Your Turn: Define Your Story

  • Blueprint for the Semester

    Your Turn: Build Your Semester Blueprint

  • What Now?

    Maintaining Momentum

    Thanks for Joining Us

  • The Future-Ready Graduate

    51 High-ROI Activities in College

    Application Toolkit

About the course instructor

Lasse Palomaki is a first-generation college graduate, career educator, and founder of The Strategic Student LLC.

After navigating college without a clear roadmap (and learning the hard way what actually moves the needle) he created the course he wishes he had back then.

Lasse has helped thousands of students take control of their college experience and land competitive internships and job offers. He’s been invited to lead workshops to students at 35+ universities, including Cornell, UCLA, and UT Dallas.

Certified in Instructional Design and Design Thinking, Lasse combines engaging teaching with practical, proven strategies — all built to help students turn their degrees into real opportunities.

Learn more about Lasse's work:

www.linkedin.com/in/lassepalomaki

Ready to tackle college with confidence and graduate with more than just a degree?

Start building a path toward a post-graduation outcomes that you're actually excited about.

We also license College by Design to high schools, colleges, and community-based organizations.
Email us to learn more: inbox@thestrategicstudent.com