Students of GCSU, it’s no mystery that once we graduate, there’s an entire world out there just waiting for us. There are endless possibilities for what we can do with the rest of our lives once we leave university and enter into the desolate place that is the real world.
So, we’ve made it to graduation, but where do we go from here? How are we supposed to afford living after we’ve graduated college?
It’s becoming more and more apparent to me that once we leave college, our dream jobs do not just magically fall into our laps. That’s fine though, because we are prepared for that. We know that it takes work to get the jobs we want. Let’s be honest, we’re still young and figuring things out. There’s so much time. We are just starting, so let’s relax. Your career that you have been
working towards the past four years will come your way…
I really wish I actually believed that.
We spend the entirety of college juggling classes, work, internships, extracurriculars and more so that we can be set for a life beyond our university bubble. We work and study hard so that we can have stability, security and peace of mind.
However, I feel all we truly get by graduation is burnout, student debt and a ceremonial handshake for a “job well done.” Was it “well done” when I was up at 2 a.m. having a mental breakdown because my paper was at seven pages instead of the minimum requirement of eight? How much does our hard work really pay off?
The harsh reality is that there are not that many open doors for us when it comes to an entry-level, full-time job that comes with a stable income. I’m worried about how I am going to live once I leave college. I’m not so worried about getting a job—I think if you have a bachelor’s degree, then someone somewhere will hire you. I’m not worried about getting hired. I am worried about getting paid enough to live.
“I’m terrified,” said Harper Mason, a senior English major. “I feel like there are not a lot of jobs out there for English majors in general and with inflation and prices rising I don’t feel like I will be stable after graduating. Then, I think about what if I spent thousands of dollars to get a degree for nothing because I can’t afford anything?”
People like to say things like, “Oh, this generation is just lazy and no one wants to work.” Well, that may be slightly true, but for the most part I’d say that we do want to have jobs. We work
hard for four years to have better opportunities so that we can work. But where are they? Where are these better opportunities? There are some jobs available, don’t get me wrong, but not the work that pays us enough to actually live. Not real careers. With inflation and the cost of rent skyrocketing, how are we to afford a house, let alone a decent place to rent?
According to Realtor Magazine, “Rents are rising faster than paychecks. The median apartment rent has jumped more than 16% in the past year alone. Rents are up 28% since January 2017, according to Apartment List data.”
Well, what about cutting costs by having a roommate? That’s a great idea. Split the rent with a roommate, and all will be well… yeah, right. Even with a roommate, upon applying, renters need to show property owners that they can afford the rent. They will want to see cash savings, lengthy and stable work histories and previous work experience, which many post-grad students lack.
“Although most of the students surveyed report receiving some financial aid through loans, scholarships or grants, 55% still said their financial situations have negatively impacted their lives,” said Kamaron McNair, a writer for CNBC News.
If over half of recent graduates say that they do not feel financially stable enough to live after college, what are we supposed to do with that? If that many graduates feel this way, then what’s to be done? Where is our help?
It is also interesting to think that most students continue into graduate school just to delay their inevitable unemployment only to delve deeper into debt. School is important. I get that. I’m not saying it isn’t worth it to go to college. I just mean our world outside of college is just not the same place it used to be, and it may be a bit more of a concern than we realize.
It’s a wild world out there. But, if we know what to expect, maybe we will be better prepared for when it comes time to dive in. Do not feel discouraged if your life doesn’t reflect exactly what you planned or hoped for once you leave the campus behind. The idea that you have the perfect house on a cute little piece of land or an apartment in Manhattan with your dream job just may not be in the cards when you’re 22 and fresh out of college, and with this economy, it will probably take some time before you’re stable enough to live all on your own at all.
To quote Monica Geller in the pilot episode of the popular television series Friends: “Welcome to the real world. It sucks. You’re gonna love it.”
