Raise your hand if the current state of the economy is freaking you out about getting a job after graduation.
If you're reading this during class (tsk, tsk!), or sitting somewhere by yourself on campus, you may look like an idiot with that hand raised, but you're absolutely not alone.
Many of us have grown up believing that our college diplomas are our ticket to financial security, but the current job situation in the United States is telling us otherwise.
The number of unemployed persons increased to 11.1 million — a 7.2 percent increase — in December, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is an increase of 3.6 million since December 2007. Scary stuff.
Truth is, the situation is probably not going to get much better any time soon.
President Obama is currently urging the quick passage of an $825 billion economic stimulus package (of borrowed money) and supporters believe it will help generate jobs and revive the U.S. economy, among other things. In his first weekly presidential address on Saturday, Obama said, "In short, if we do not act boldly and swiftly, a bad situation could become dramatically worse."
Obama noted that "more young Americans are forced to forgo college," and a proposed $16 billion of the bill is meant to go to Pell Grants for college students.
Many of us will be gone by the time the bill passes, and jobs are not going to just appear any time soon. Whether this stimulus bill will be helpful or not, we seniors are likely to view our graduation date as the end of a very high cliff. So, in the mean time…what are we to do?
We have a few options.
Moving back in with mom and dad means enjoying the comforts of home at a possible price of FREE. However, while mom's meals, and not having to worry about bills sounds enticing, it also means sitting on a 4-year degree and possibly losing any personal growth we gained during our years away.
Graduate or professional schools seem like safe options, and piling on the loans seems like the thing to do these days. The U.S. already has a $1.2 trillion deficit for 2009 — what's $825 billion more? I'll already have more than $40,000 dollars worth of Jesuit education to pay off when I graduate — what's another two or four more years of expensive education? But seriously, more debt? Not sounding so great.
There's also the cop-out option of just giving up your dreams, finding an affluent companion and getting married (this option is looking better and better) — or perhaps this is your dream to begin with.
It's scary, and not many people are giving us viable direction. Quite honestly, I think we might be in for more than we understand. The economic challenges and the proposed stimulus package to aid in its solution are a wake-up call. Our country is struggling, and we are definitely a part of it.
The best thing for college students to do is to just be aware of what is happening and realize that our options may be different from those with which we arrived at Marquette, for now.
Pessimistic? No, realistic. The good news is that such a reality has made an appearance before in the U.S., and we were able to make a comeback.
While we sit in our classrooms thinking, "We just want to be valuable and valued in the world!" it's possible that we and/or our fellow peers might have to revise exactly how we will achieve that. Rather than ignoring this possibility, recognizing the circumstances might make everything a little less scary.