<p>My D is in a 5 year BS program, so she still has two full years of school left. </p>
<p>But many of her friends are now finishing up their junior year -- and starting to panic. The reality of having just one more year is setting in, and to their shock, many of these kids have no clue what they want to do afterwards. </p>
<p>Are any of your kids struggling with upperclassman panic?</p>
<p>My D is graduating in less than 4 weeks. She has expressed that she is excited but scared. she has always known that graduating would bring the reality of being theatre major…no secure job. But in reality, so many of her friends that went with “stable” “marketable” majors are not finding jobs in this economy. It is a little unsettling for these bright young people who have always had a plan, but now the real world!</p>
<p>S is a junior and one of the reasons he chose his field, EE, is because he hoped it would help him land a job down the road. He will have an internship this summer at NASA & has worked in research labs for quite a while, so that should be helpful for giving him some options down the road. Hopefully the economy will be slightly better when he’s looking for jobs in 2010, but who knows? He hasn’t mentioned any panic–yet. D has been very concerned that she choose a major that will lead to some employment, but time will tell.</p>
<p>S1 wil graduate in May. He has a job but some of his friends do not and seem pretty pessimistic about their possibilities. One of his roommates is an accounting major and doesn’t have a job yet.</p>
<p>D1 is a junior. No panic yet, definitely knows what she wants to do, it will just depend on if the job market cooperates. She has an internship now while attending classes and will have one this summer, also. Unlike some of her peers she is willing to relocate anywhere to have a good job!</p>
<p>S is graduating in May and has no job and no prospects: Environmental Policy major with Pol Science minor. It’s become a sensitive subject when relatives ask the dreaded “what are you going to do after graduation?” question.</p>
<p>He’s considering grad school at some point, but isn’t ready now and frankly, may have difficulty getting in with a less than stellar gpa. It’s kind of depressing and H & I try not to push too much, knowing how badly he’s feeling right now.</p>
<p>DS is a junior majoring in math & working on adding a second major in CS (he’s still trying to figure out if he’ll be able to finish the requirements for CS next year). I’m a little panicky over the job prospects. But thankful he has an internship for this summer - it will be his first “real” job. The past few summers he couldn’t/wouldn’t find a “real” job though he did tutor and make money. I’ve wondered if he’s not able to find a job and can’t finish the classes necessary to have the CS major would it be worth waiting a year to graduate to finish the CS degree. The big issue would be money - he’s got almost a full ride and we haven’t looked into whether or not scholarships/money would be available for a 5th year. I think I’m also concerned about his gpa and wondering how much employers look at gpa. DS has not been concerned about gpa since freshman year when apparently other students convinced him that gpa doesn’t matter once you’re in college.</p>
<p>D is a junior with a double major and a fairly high reading on the panic scale, when the subject of life after graduation comes up. Right now she seems to be doing her best to make sure the subject doesn’t come up much.</p>
<p>I think what surprises most graduates is the immediate loss of all those close friends that were available at arms reach in college. Not having a job only compounds the problem.</p>
<p>Student loan payments kick in 6 months after graduation. Now THAT’S panic worthy.</p>
<p>My son would like to go to grad school also so that keeps him occupied, (like junior year in high school all over again) but it is a little disconcerting to know your “bubble” will burst in a year. He has gotten very comfortable with his peers and professors and this year has gone by so quickly.
He said some students are a bit shaky about their job prospects, others that come from affulient familes, less so, knowing they can have a cushion for a while.</p>
<p>daughter graduates soon - ba in english/art. what next? life too short - don’t ask.</p>
<p>“I think what surprises most graduates is the immediate loss of all those close friends that were available at arms reach in college. Not having a job only compounds the problem.”</p>
<p>This is the attraction of places like Boston and Cambridge - a lot of students rent apartments after they graduate and work in the area or commute outside but they still get the buzz of the college environment.</p>
<p>If students can get internships, then I have a feeling that they will be able to get jobs when they graduate.</p>
<p>S1 graduates in May and is continuing on to a PhD program in the fall. I used to think he should take some time off and work before pursuing grad school, but in this economy, he has made right choice. I can’t imagine how he would feel if he couldn’t find a job after all the work he did in college. </p>
<p>So, basically, no panic here. Will continue cruising along through grad school.</p>
<p>Mine’s off to a great graduate program and has direction. For that I am thankful. He did mention that some students don’t have plans. I had a friend whose son graduated a few years ago with no plans, landed a decent job and now has a solid one in the field of computing. I know at the time she was worried.</p>
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<p>I do hope you are right!</p>