This is the final installment of a five-part series in which the Northern Star interviews Congressman Randy Hultgren, who took office this January.

Northern Star: How much time do you spend in Illinois vs. DC? What is it like living in DC?

Randy Hultgren: The good thing is that it’s still the majority of the time in Illinois, especially with the calendar now they’ve put together. We’re back in the district at least seven straight days in the month and then home on weekends as long as there’s not a session going on, so almost every weekend and then one week a month back here.

I kind of work it out where I just go out to get out in time for when votes start and work as hard as I can while I’m out there. Committees and voting and studying issues and meeting with constituents who are out there visiting and other things, but as soon as votes are done, I get over to the airport and get back as soon as I can.

Being out there, some parts are great. It’s such an amazing city, so much history of our country right there in Washington so I’ve really enjoyed that. My family has really enjoyed that as well going to the museums, seeing the Capitol, hearing stories of founders, going through Ford’s Theatre, it’s just a beautiful Abraham Lincoln Museum there.

So it’s a great city, and that’s one other good thing too, students and the families that would love to come out to DC. Honestly, it’s their office in Washington so I don’t feel like it’s my office, I feel like it’s their office that they’re having me use while I’m their representative. I really do want people to come out and visit Washington. It’s a wonderful place, but still nothing like home.

NS: What advice do you have for graduating college students?

RH: The biggest thing I would encourage college students is be out there meeting with people now, looking for opportunities to just even volunteer at a place where your interested whether it’s a business or whether it’s in education or whether it’s in government or politics. Use your time to certainly do your best to finish well with your education, but also look to be building relationships just because it’s so important first of all just to see the area that you’re interested in if it’s really what you thought it was.

I talk to so many people who go all the way through school, and they get out and get a job in what they thought they wanted to do, and all of the sudden find out that they don’t really like that and have to figure out what they to do next.

So I think it’s really important to do both: do well in school, finish well, but also be building relationships and really tap into the alumni base. I just think that’s so important and with a place like NIU where there’s such a rich alumni base throughout Illinois and the Midwest and America.

Just find people you can connect with. I just think it still goes back to knowing people and having them know you, and especially during difficult times, that’s what people are going to be looking for–to hire someone is they want to hire, a person that they know is going to work out well.

So I think that’s really wise to be taking some of those steps now while still in school.