<p>Inquiringmind2 --if she is fluent in Spanish, is over 20 and has a college degree, she ought to take a look at working in New Zealand. She could find a job in the Queeenstown area (South Island) where they have skiing/snowboarding in their Winter. There are all kinds of adventurs/extreme and “mainstream” activities that hire guides, instructors, etc. from all over. Plus it is a BEAUTIFUL place. And, make sure you go visit her. </p>
<p>The NZ tourism industry had employees from English speaking countries from around the world.</p>
<p>Very interesting to read of the plans of the kids we were reading about 4 years ago!</p>
<p>My son will graduate from the University of Florida in April and will get his degree in civil engineering. The worst grade of his college career so far has been one A-. He has a great college resume that includes being a research assistant, teaching assistant and co-chairman of a program that involves getting Gainesvile area public school kids interested in engineering as a career. </p>
<p>He is going on to get a masters in structural engineering and has been accepted to the top 3 programs in the field, Cal Berkeley, Illinois and Texas. He has received a fellowship offer from Cal Berkeley, which totally amazed me because of the financial cutbacks there. He has not yet received any funding offers from the other two schools named.</p>
<p>He had a nearly full ride at UF, so still has the money we saved for him for college, which will give him the option to go anywhere he wants if he chooses to spend the cash to do it. </p>
<p>My son has grown and matured into a very fine young man. He and his girlfriend are trying to coordinate where they go for their masters, so it will be interesting to see how all that plays out. </p>
<p>Next up, DD, who is a math and science whiz. She’s in 10th grade, straight A’s, is currently taking calc 3 at the local community college and will be taking differential equations and physics at the community college this summer. She has a pretty impressive extracurricular resume and is gunning to be her high school valedictorian. She needs no encouragement from me, as she is extremely self motivated and academically competitive.</p>
<p>Considering the fact that there is a hiring freeze at the NYC DOE and there are also a glut of english teachers, perhaps their best bet would be to go to Hunter college for a small fraction of the cost.</p>
<p>Does she have a job yet? Perhaps she should look at some of the NYC private/parochial schools especially since most of her classes will be after the school day has ended. This can hopefully ease the financial burden.</p>
<p>One of my D’s friends did a fellowship at a private school in CA teaching social studies (she was a government/sociology major). The fellowship gave her job training as a teacher, paid her ~35k a year and gave her fee room and board. Now that the year is up, she applied for and got a job next year at one of the elite NYC private day schools. Not sure if she will continue in education as she says she is thinking about attending law school in a few years.</p>
<p>Is anyone else NOT particularly loving senior year of college? My first semester I was overloaded finishing up all my course requirements, doing research, teaching two classes and TAing a third, my internship, my job, and grad school apps. </p>
<p>I came back early for an intersession course in January and was gone for the first five (!) weeks of the semester on grad school interviews. Now that I’m back, I’ve been working full time to finish my practicum (but I LOVE my job and am getting paid, so that’s all good), doing my internship, research, teaching/finishing up Americorps hours, and trying to finish up my thesis (in psych) and 35-50 page my comp exam (in social work). </p>
<p>I’m waiting for additional information about funding from the grad schools that I’ve been admitted to, so I feel like I’m in some strange holding pattern. I know I’m exactly lucky to have a job and have gotten in grad school in my field. </p>
<p>It’s just that, after being all over the country, not being in any classes this semester, not yet knowing where I’ll be next year (other than knowing I won’t be here), and coming back with a million things to “wrap up” in the next 2-4 months, I’m feeling out of place.</p>
<p>When I started this thread, the idea was that the parents of college class of 2010 would come here to celebrate their kid’s accomplishments and share in the graduation festivity planning (and maybe the festivities when those begin).</p>
<p>There are a bunch of us who have been posting on this forum for more than four years with the college search/selection/attendance/roommate issues/how much to give for spending money/tuition bills…and so on. </p>
<p>It’s so much fun hearing how the parents are getting ready to celebrate their kids’ final months in college.</p>
<p>Well, I just wrote the final tuition check which was truly exciting - it was one of the more expensive schools but we started saving when DS was born. He also got scholarships which covered about 10% of the cost, and Grandma helped some. So we were able to avoid loans.</p>
<p>That part is all very nice and we’re happy and proud that he’s graduating this May (there were a few touch-and-go times). He looking for a job and has been flown out to a few interviews but so far nothing has jelled - kind of started from scratch again during spring break. One reason he picked this school was for the kinds of top companies that recruit but with lesser accomplishments that we’d foreseen (not to mention the economy), he’s having to expand into a wider variety. I’m sure he’s scared - very hard for the kids to stay focused and optimistic after facing several disappointments. He is ready to be done with college (again, for him, not all the experience he was hoping for). </p>
<p>We’ve been making plans for the commencement weekend - Grandma is flying out; we’re driving out; hotel and dinner plans are made. But the uncertainty of his future does make it harder to relax, celebrate, and really savor the time.</p>
<p>Marilyn, our son is in a boat similar to yours. He doesn’t have a job yet and that overshadows everything. All of his friends have gotten jobs already so he feels like the only person in his position. Does anybody have statistics on what percentage of college seniors don’t have a job at this point? I told him it was about 50%, which he found comforting, but I just made that number up out of thin air.</p>
<p>He is being flown out for a second interview the middle of next month and has one other good possibility. Either would be an incredible job (allow him to work overseas, good training program and career progression, doing something he would be excited to do), but if neither materializes, he will have to open the search up to a broader range. </p>
<p>I am very stressed on his behalf. He has a lot of other things that are keeping his senior year a whirlwind of too many balls in the air. For example, he is still trying to get his credits transferred from his fall semester overseas. The grades are posted and fine but lacking some official piece of paper he needs. It all seems like a house of cards some days and we both can’t wait for it to all be over so he can move on.</p>
<p>Analyst, haven’t heard any solid numbers about 2010 college grduating class employment, but can tell you that my civil engineering son says even engineering graduates are finding that getting a job is much more difficult this year. Even graduating masters degree engineers, he says, are not all finding jobs.</p>
<p>I would guess that well over 50% do NOT have jobs. My son said a LOT of the Wharton kids (he is not Wharton) don’t have jobs yet. My niece (civil eng. Penn State senior) does not have a job. It is tough out there.
Kid was home for the weekend. 2 more months. He is really burned out. Just two more months. Hang in there. (and honors thesis to write…)</p>
<p>Just caught up with this thread. Son is a senior, graduating in May. Busy right now as a pt teaching asst and with his thesis requirement. But can’t find a job. Not even getting interviews. Great GPA, honors college, but was unable to land an internship last year and that’s hurting him I think. </p>
<p>We are looking forward to his graduation (two ceremonies!). And we are trying not to get too stressed about the job situation. He is stressed I know…but is also not the best planner…and just doesn’t get the “networking” thing. He will be with us this summer…which is just fine. Not sure beyond that! Those four years DID fly.</p>
<p>My son doesn’t have a job yet either and to make matters worse this last term (they’re on a 3 term system - no summer term) he totally blew. But he still thinks he can graduate in June. He’s home for spring break, working on an incomplete. Hopefully he’ll finish the project today and turn back to the job search. I knew he was struggling this term and was worried about depression(especially after 3 suicides on his campus last spring), but he came home happy, smiling, telling lots of stories about all the fun stuff he’d done this last term. I think its a serious case of senioritis. (and perhaps he made a mistake having his girlfriend come visit the week before midterms). </p>
<p>I’d read somewhere that around 80% of college seniors don’t have jobs lined up at graduation. I’ll have to see if I can find a link to the article. I’m not sure where I read it. yep: here’s a link to an article regarding the 2009 grads: [Got</a> Work? - ABC News](<a href=“Got Work? - ABC News”>Got Work? - ABC News) looks like by may only 19.7 percent of college grads that had applied for jobs had one.</p>
<p>We had a senior last year, but since she decided to stay and get her masters degree, it really didnt feel like it. She had several scholarships to pay for her past year, which helped tremendously, and she graduates in May. We are all feeling the celebration. This is my first child, so it catches me off guard that so many people are feeling the same emotions, whether starting college or finishing college. We are not alone. The financial strain will end May 1, but at the same time my son starts college in August. So here we go again. He is on waitlist and is just sick about it. This is a rollercoaster for all of us. At least we will only be paying one tuition since private school is over for him. Half sounds great right now. My daughter in now on the job hunt, applications were put online last week, just waiting for the pool of jobs to be posted. She will live 3 hrs away, her engagement is around the corner. All bigs events for us.</p>
<p>This is a relief after reading about all the kids above who know what they’re doing after graduation - we are not alone.</p>
<p>Oakland Mom, that link is both comforting (kid is not alone) and scary (OMG he won’t get a job). The fact that last year’s graduates may still be looking for jobs has been of concern already.</p>
<p>Toneranger- our son understands the importance of networking but is very hesitant to push himself - makes him uncomfortable. And yet that’s supposed to be one of the strengths of his school - the career center guy also tells him to research alumni. I know he feels that he doesn’t have all the skills that the companies are looking for; don’t know if that’s true but it might be affecting his confidence in the onsite interviews. He really thought he had the last one; recruiter emailed later that he could pass on info re the interviews themselves but has not responded to DS’s request for feedback. At least he got that far so he looks good enough on paper and in phone interviews.</p>
<p>At the same time my nephew (similar brain as son) is a senior in high school and has been accepted to 5 of his 7 schools, some with nice scholarships, and is waiting on the last two. I’m very happy for him but it brings back memories of how excited we were four years ago with our son’s acceptances - never dreamed he would still be in limbo at this point. I do believe he will eventually find a job - and he knows he always has a home with us so won’t be living on the street. Probably - he does have some annoying habits…hmmm, does anyone have an opportunity for a CS grad?</p>
<p>Interesting…as I was writing my post, an email came through from Fortune’s Ask Annie. “Networking for shy people”. While I wouldn’t consider him shy, my s is an introvert so networking is tough for him. And Marilyn, like your son, he is going to a school where the alum network is (theoretically) a huge benefit. I think he KNOWS what he should be doing ( I’ve sent him enough articles and he’s talked to a career counselor). Putting what he has learned in action is another thing.</p>
<p>Last year, he got lots of interviews for internships…some he didn’t get…others were canceled midstream after multiple rounds of interviews. Very depressing. And I know it’s something employers look for…a high GPA AND an internship. Well, he’s missing one of them. Through no fault of his own. The impact of this rotten economy continues to linger…</p>
<p>So on a more positive note, DS now has an onsite interview (in his college city) with a company that did a phone interview last week. He’s also thinking about what he can do to enhance his resume if he’s still looking once he gets home (like learning more and developing projects). So it looks like he’s got a decent attitude.</p>
<p>He’s also going to an evening reception for graduating seniors tomorrow at the university President’s house. And next weekend there’s a university sponsored get together for all seniors at Dave & Busters. It’s great that the school is recognizing them already with these celebratory events.</p>
(which I am sure you do).</p>