<p>Seeking input as to the pros and cons of graduating from college in December 2010 versus June 2011.</p>
<p>Besides one semester less of room, board & other fees? :)</p>
<p>Will you have a job lined up? If not will you be relying on on-campus recruiting? Have you checked when recruiters will be actively recruiting on campus for your field of study? Job future would be the only downside I could think of, and that may not be an issue for you.</p>
<p>I’m sure others will chime in and give you thoughts for either decision.</p>
<p>There may not be any cons.</p>
<p>If you will be applying for graduate school or hunting for a job through on-campus recruiting during the fall semester, the school or company is going to expect you to start in the following summer or fall. So all you would need is a temporary job for the spring semester. Some young people in your situation try to get jobs in the college community – often, very routine ones, such as working in a store or restaurant – for the spring semester. This eliminates the problem of having to sublet off-campus housing and gives them a chance to stay in the same community with their friends until their friends graduate in the spring. And it saves the cost of spring semester tuition. Others go back to their parents’ community and look for a job. This may be cheaper because it doesn’t involve paying rent – which could be an important advantage if it proves to be difficult to find a full-time temporary job. </p>
<p>Health insurance is not likely to be an issue under the new rules.</p>
<p>The only problem I can see is if you are planning to seek a job in a field where recruiting takes place in the spring. You might not be eligible to use the university’s on-campus recruiting services even if you are still living in the community. And if you are living elsewhere, using those services might not be practical. So you would have to rely on other ways of hunting for a permanent job.</p>
<p>Some schools offer on-campus recruiting or career services to alumni for a year (or more) beyond graduation.</p>
<p>Thank you. Your input is very much needed, and appreciated.
APOL</p>