For many students, the end of their college career is only a few short months away.
The thought of finishing school evokes elation in some.
For others, however, it elicits a knot of stress in the pit of their stomach.
After 16 or more years of schooling, it should be obvious one would ready to be done. They would want to move on to a real job and start their adult life. Post-graduate life does not always come easy to many students. I believe this is because of a widespread trait that many people have — a disdain for change and the unknown.
School in general is a known quantity. We choose which major we want and that comes with a set of classes that are usually static. Unless something drastic occurs, the curriculum doesn’t undergo much change.
At the beginning of the semester we receive a syllabus that outlines everything the course will cover and each day is usually meticulously planned.
Over the course of one’s education they’ll have taken tests, completed assignments and given presentations.
After graduation, that all changes.
Tests become monthly performance reports, assignments become the day to day grind and presentations become sales pitches.
Of course, there are thousands of occupations that all have different responsibilities, but the baseline stays the same.
Landing a dream job isn’t a given like attending high school, or even a university, to an extent. It requires hard work, self-promotion and often, a great deal of luck.
This abrupt change from a set schedule of classes to a scramble for work has many graduates on edge, myself included.
They have high expectations for themselves and want to be able to attain that “dream job” right away.
Most often, that doesn’t happen right out of the gate. It may take two or three jobs before they find one that best fits.
It is that fear of starting a job they won’t like or even getting a job at all that most graduates face.
There are a few ways that help me to cope with this fear.
The first is utilizing the resources around you.
One of the best resources the University has to offer is the career fair. The career fair represents an amalgamation of opportunities all put together in one place. It can allow one to obtain valuable networking opportunities and possibly obtain an internship or job for the future.
The second, and most overlooked, resource is a professor. Students can look to people who are experts in their fields teaching them every day.
It is easy to forget that professors were once graduates unsure about the future, too.It doesn’t matter whether you utilize a professor as a reference or as someone with plenty of advice to give. It is important that you reach out and start the conversation.
Graduation is both a daunting end and an exciting beginning.
It signifies the end of sixteen years worth of work. From learning simple multiplication to writing theses, we all have undergone a journey.
The graduates of today have grown and changed like the world around them.
Opinions have come and gone, dislikes and likes seeming to change every month.
But the core person is still inside them. The kid who wanted to be a policeman or teacher still walks beside them on that path.
A path with huge successes and equally as big failures. From here, all one can do is continue forward and take life’s turns in stride.
Griffen Winget can be reached at [email protected]