Warning: Those who do not desire to think about life beyond college, stop reading now.
Graduation looms on the horizon, and the uncertainty of the future constantly knocks on the door of my mind. The closer graduation creeps toward me, its steps sends a shiver of anxiety down my spine.
Classmates and friends continue to ask me what I am doing after graduation, and I simply have no idea. I have no clue what I am doing once I walk across the stage in May.
I still feel uncertain that I am not adequately prepared for the real world. The real world has been the furthest thing from my mind throughout my college career. Paying bills, rent and having more responsibility than I do now doesn’t sound like a lot of fun.
It’s easy for students, including myself, to get entranced by the allurement of this college life. As a senior in college, it seems graduation is a time many desire, but little prepare for. Hanging out with friends and being sociable is important, but it is also important to develop skills.
If college is only about getting a sheet of paper and a handshake from someone I don’t know, then I have wasted my time. If this is the purpose of college, then I should have earned my GED, learned a trade and gone to work somewhere. Instead of going to college, maybe I should have gone offshore.
After graduation, future employers will not care much about my insignificant piece of paper, but what I can bring to the table. There is a great American myth that education is the solution to economic happiness and prosperity. This myth is very prominent in today’s society. An education does not guarantee someone a job after graduation. An education is like a parking permit – just because people have a parking permit on campus does not mean it enables them to find a parking spot. Think about all of the people with advanced degrees who are working at jobs not related to their majors.
I cannot think of a better time to be entering the workforce. The economy is plummeting and it only seems to be getting worse. I love the fact that I am graduating this semester as the job market is going up in flames. Where will I work after graduation?
At a newspaper? The print media is collapsing in on itself with newspapers trimming down their staffs. The industry looks bleak to say the least.
The United States’ declining economy has hurt payrolls all across the nation except for that of the New York Yankees. The more I think about the economic situation, the more unsettling my thoughts become.
Lawrence Simmons is the news editor at The Reflector. He can be contacted at [email protected].