The unavoidable pull of the beach, the strenuous effort needed just to get out of bed and the I’d-rather-be-outside weather all signal the end of another school year. For most students, this means a three-month vacation, summer school or just spending time with family. But for the class of 2007, it signals an end to the college experience and the beginning of yet another step into the real world.
As Sixth College senior Daniel Lui’s last year comes to a close, he decided not to stress out, but instead follow some words of wisdom he received from a friend: “”Cs get degrees.””
“”I’m still worried [about academics], but there’s more freedom in relaxing,”” Lui said. “”Your undergraduate years are a once-in-a-lifetime experience.””
While Lui decided to take a stress-free approach, other students find themselves under a lot more pressure.
Graduation involves more than just earning the required amount of units and awaiting the praise of one’s elders. Students deciding to pursue yet another four years of education hurry to get their applications and references all in on time. Those who are going directly into the job market rush to perfect their resumes in hope that someone, somewhere, will hire them. During winter quarter, seniors began filling out the paperwork required for graduation. A load of tasks that require students to relentlessly sell themselves can lead to overwhelming pressure and confidence issues, but the prospect of life after college is possibly even more daunting.
“”[Graduating college] is the next step in personal responsibility as now I will be responsible not only for paying for rent, food and other basic living expenses, but will also have to worry about health insurance and other things,”” Earl Warren College senior Brian Creencia said in an e-mail. “”All of this makes me anxious, but I’m trying to see it all as a challenge rather than something to fear.””
While there are many opportunities available for students after graduation, sifting through these choices is not always an easy task. The Career Services Center is a valuable resource for information on graduate and professional schools and career opportunities in any field of interest.
“”The center offers a wide range of services related to students’ career development, desired employment outcomes and graduate-education pursuits,”” Director of the Career Services Center Andrew Ceperley said. “”The mission of the Career Services Center is to help UCSD students and alumni determine and fulfill their career goals.””
Career Services offers many seminars throughout the year to help students with necessary skills for resume writing, personal-statement writing and on-camera interviewing skills. Etiquette dinners are also provided to prepare students for meal-based interviews, which are currently growing in popularity among employers. While there are a variety of ways for students to get an edge in the job market, one of the most important factors is experience.
Port Triton, which provides a list of employers near UCSD, has been a useful tool among students for finding jobs and internships to help them gain experience in their field of interest. In a survey done by the Career Services Center, 19 percent of graduates last year who went directly into the workforce took jobs where they had previously been interns.
Internships can also lead students to change their minds about career choices and send them down a new path. For the approximate 90 percent of freshmen who have already chosen a major, their decisions are not set in stone.
“”Don’t be afraid to change direction,”” UCSD Professional and Graduate School Adviser Jamie Nye said. “”It’s OK to change your mind. Be open to options you may not have considered before.””
Even after four years of college, some students opt for more time to decide upon a career.
“”We are certainly part of a national trend whereby graduates take a year or two off before pursuing grad/professional schools,”” Ceperley said in an e-mail. “”Commonly called ‘gap years’ in Europe, we are seeing greater interest in this option. Getting a job is not necessarily a challenge for UCSD graduates. Finding the right entry-level opportunity or graduate program that plays to [the student’s] strengths and interest is the real objective here. This takes time. Rushed career decisions based on limited information and self-understanding are not likely to lead to fulfilling careers.””
Students who choose to go directly into work also have a chance to gain experience through a new program called LAUNCH, which is provided by UCSD Extension.
“”The purpose of [LAUNCH] is to give the UCSD undergraduate a step up in the job market,”” program coordinator Charleen Boyl said. “”When you can put something on a resume that is a little better than the other people that are applying, that resume will come to the top of the pile.””
The LAUNCH program, which began this past winter quarter, consists of several courses. Participants attend classes alongside professionals in that field from the local community who wish to renew or build on their knowledge of the subject. This allows for students to build networks with professionals and get first-hand knowledge of what their prospective career will be like.
In addition, the LAUNCH career coach will guide the student in completing a checklist of criteria essential for career-bound students including resume writing, interviewing skills and interpersonal relationships. As participants attend classes in their certificate courses, they also participate in seminars for each item on the checklist. If seminars for improving these skills are not provided on campus by either the Career Services Center or any other campus organization, the LAUNCH program will hold its own seminar to help ensure that the student is well prepared in every aspect.
Upon completing the program, students will receive a certificate in popular fields such as business and finance, clinical trials and paralegal, a unique certificate that has been approved by the American Bar Association, and can work as a valuable tidbit of education to add on to one’s resume.
For those graduating spring quarter 2007, only five weeks remain before they must begin a new life, which can be frightening or, in Creencia’s case, a new adventure.
“”Sometimes I fear that the best part of my life is coming to an end,”” Creencia said in an e-mail. “”But then I realize that even though it is true that college has been the best part of my life thus far, it has always gotten better, so there’s no reason that that will not be the case after college.””
