As the pressures of school set in and midterms are released I can’t help but wonder what I am going to do when I graduate.
I know I have dreams, goals, wants and desires. But here I am hoping to graduate in May wondering what I’m going to do instead of being in school from 10 a.m. to sometimes 9 p.m.
I spent the last four years in a rhythm that took at least a full year to even get into, and now I’ll have to turn around and start over again.
I know most seniors have the same dilemma as me and wonder where they are going to end up.
I recently went to the last career fair, and saw a lot of my fellow students try to make a great impression as they talk to possible future employers. They all seemed to have nervous smiles and were constantly correcting their posture. The pressures of a good impression are almost overwhelming.
After watching a fellow classmate get a short pep talk about posture, smiles and eye contact, I had a thought: Why isn’t there a class about this?
Professors send us out into the world with knowledge about philosophy and algebra that won’t get us a job, or even a date. So why don’t we have a class that teaches us how to get a job or handle an interview?
Beyond that, what about classes that teach us about mortgages, managing credit, or leasing a car vs. buying?
Being a grown up sucks, that’s what we are told.
Once we graduate, all that college debt hits us, along with the pressure to find a good-paying job.
I see some friends on social media with seemingly perfect lives and lucrative jobs. Meanwhile, here I am sitting in the basement of the Architecture building wondering where I can even get my foot in the door.
I hear that it's not what you know, it’s who you know.
Well, I want to know where I can find the “who to know” people to introduce myself.
I’ve recently polished up my resume, posted on job sites and set up some notifications so I can get daily posts about jobs around me.
A lot of those jobs are not even close to why I even went to school.
Some are even jobs that don't require a four-year degree.
So was all this a waste? Was it a mistake to get my undergrad?
Will I graduate in the spring to find myself on the unemployment line like most of the memes that I have been reading online?
To my surprise, Costco hires cashiers at 14 dollars an hour.
Maybe there is hope for me yet.
