What are Seniors Doing After Graduation?
Image Courtesy of the Catholic University of America
By Zachary Lichter
It’s time for another graduating class of the Catholic University of America (CUA) to leave and decide the next chapter of their lives. Whether it’s at home or CUA, some of the common questions people have asked some of the current seniors at CUA are: Have you started applying for jobs? Do you plan to go to graduate school? Have you thought about possibly doing a year of service? For some people, these questions may sound mind-boggling or overwhelming; however, these questions are all a part of life, and seniors still have plenty of time to figure out what they want to do after college.
Senior biology major Veronica Walsh gave her comments about looking for jobs:
“I started applying for jobs last week, but it’s important to weigh your options and start looking for internships before your senior year,” Walsh said. “I would tell incoming seniors that they should enjoy their last year of college and try not to stress because everything will work out in the end. Not everyone works at the same pace when finding their place in the professional world and that’s okay.”
During the spring semester, most seniors are doing internships, and applying for jobs. By now, some seniors have had at least three or four job interviews and have probably got accepted by two or more jobs. There’s also the possibility that some seniors who have been interviewed by two or more companies are still waiting to hear back from both jobs to see if they got hired or not. Every company is different when it comes to hiring its new employees. Sometimes it could take either weeks or months, depending on if the company has a lengthy hiring process or not.
While some seniors might be working right after college, other seniors have at least applied to graduate school either before or during their senior year. Depending on their major, some seniors are currently doing 4+1 programs where they can take classes at the graduate school level and get their master’s degree a year after graduation. Specific jobs require candidates to have a master’s degree or sometimes a Ph.D., even before applying. Some seniors might even want a master’s degree because it looks good on their resume, or they just want to be sure they have learned everything they need to know in their major before even stepping foot in the workforce.
Senior music and history major with an emphasis in music and philosophy, theology, and Hispanic studies minor, Matthew Sie gave his comments about his graduate school plans:
“I am planning on doing graduate school, in a way. I am applying to seminary to study for and discern the priesthood for the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina,” Sie said. “If accepted, I spend the first few years of this program at St. Joseph’s College Seminary in Charlotte. The immediate program I am applying to is three years total, with a propaedeutic or spirituality year, followed by two years of pre-theology studies. In total, the entire seminary process for someone with an undergraduate degree is seven years.”
As the seniors at CUA are counting down to their final days on campus and eventually graduation, whatever current seniors plan to do after college, they know deep down whatever they choose is best for them. College is all about figuring out what a person wants to do in life, which includes deciding if a person wants to work or do graduate school after graduation. Seniors are entitled to make whatever decision after graduation makes them the most comfortable and happy. One thing that is sure is the seniors at CUA can reflect on their time here on campus and look back on all the steps they took to fulfill their dreams.
