The last three years at the University of Minnesota have been some of the greatest times of my life. I was lucky enough to have joined several clubs at the University. Each one provided me with a new perspective and real life experience. These opportunities helped push me into focusing on the bigger picture: What’s my next step after graduation? I have witnessed my friends finish up their last semester in college without any relative experience to apply to their résumé, and they seem OK with it. Why?
Jobs are scarce, and competition is at a premium for a graduating student. Not only are we competing against new graduates, we are competing with people who have years of work experience. Why haven’t colleges pushed more for students to get involved in internships or clubs? It seems society is more concerned with what degree was earned and less concerned with what we accomplished in those four years to gain real-life experience. Colleges need to push the reality that degrees aren’t a guaranteed job; it’s just a piece of paper saying you can’t be paid minimum wage.
That’s not what I paid and worked for at the University, and neither did you.