As the end of the semester comes to a close and finals week begins, I’m once again reminded how close I am to graduating. I also can’t help but feel unprepared for the future. I know everyone has their own path after graduation. Some of my peers have jobs lined up or plan to go to grad school, while others plan to travel. However, I keep getting asked, “What’s next?”
And to that I say, “I have absolutely no clue.” But I know other students feel the same.
We’re expected to graduate with a job offer or be in the middle of the interviewing process or at least have a perfectly curated resume that will secure us the perfect starting position. But how are students expected to have time to apply, let alone search for jobs, with the seemingly endless number of classes and finals needed to walk across the stage?
For me right now, it’s one assignment after the other. Even as I’m writing this, all I can think about is completing the papers that I have due so I can graduate. I haven’t even had time to perfect my portfolio to show future employers.
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I’m also not even 100% sure what I want to do with my future. There are so many paths I can take with my degree and I’m still not sure which one will make me the happiest. Students like me feel expected to plan out the rest of their lives after only a few years of schooling.
I think universities like FGCU should take steps to ensure that students are prepared and have a clearer path as graduation day approaches.
We’re already forced to take so many general education courses, so why can’t universities create mandatory ones that actually allow students to explore different careers or at least help narrow down what they want to pursue in the future?
There is a class dedicated to career planning at FGCU, but it’s not enforced and it’s not advertised enough for students to actually know about it. We need to fix this problem from the beginning, when students first step onto campus, so we can prevent them from questioning everything they’ve worked for as they near the graduation stage.
Even students who have a solid career plan can benefit from additional help. More mandatory classes should be given that actually prepare students for life right outside of college.
Instead of the typical general education classes that are often completely unrelated to our majors, give us mandatory courses on resume and portfolio building so we’re not stressing about creating them at the last minute. Give us a class on filing taxes or financing for the future. Give us something that will allow us to learn about life outside of the classroom.
Again, I know there are some classes catered around these subjects, but they’re not mandatory. They’re reserved for specific majors or they’re just random electives that we aren’t encouraged to care about. If students aren’t pushed to learn these skills, then how are we supposed to obtain them?
I think there are numerous methods that should be taken to better prepare future graduates for success, but will universities actually implement them?
A majority of the time, it just feels like schools want us in and out. They expect good grades and good attendance and many students strive for that. Yet, despite all we give to universities, it feels like they rush us through our four years here, straight into the extremely overwhelming adult world, without any knowledge of what to do next.
I know I’m not the only one who feels this way and I think all students should know that if you feel unprepared for life after graduation, you’re not alone. Despite the uncertainty we’re forced to overcome by ourselves, we’ll figure it out … or at least that’s what universities think we’ll do.