Katherine Daniel ~ Guest Writer
Now that I have graduated from the University of Lynchburg, I am missing the University of Lynchburg campus. Being that my fiancé is still finishing his senior year for the spring semester, we are still in Lynchburg at this time. I am currently doing my Masters online, so I am mostly home throughout the week until I get a full-time job, but that is a different story for another time. I did not expect to come back on this campus anytime soon or be writing. Still, I was asked to write an opinion piece this week, and I had to come for an interview for the magazine sent out by the university, so I thought maybe I could give some tips to the seniors about to graduate in May
- Do Not Wish Your Last Semester Away. I was so ready for my last semester to be done with my undergraduate degree. I was so excited to be done and be out applying for jobs, but applying for jobs has not been the easiest. I honestly miss coming to the campus to go to class, work, and of course, the Muse. I came back to campus for the first time today for an interview and to help with the paper, and it honestly felt peculiar to be coming back to campus and not to be a student still. I truly miss it, so make sure to go to the events you want to go to and enjoy the time you have left while you are here, because once you are gone, it feels weird not to be a student anymore and to come on this campus.
- Finding a Full-Time Job is Not Easy. Finding full-time is NOT the easiest. Trust me on that. I started applying for jobs back in December before I graduated, and it has not been the easiest process. A lot of the jobs want “experience” when you apply. To get experience, try and find a few internships or part-time jobs while in college so that you can have the experience when applying for jobs. Even with me having a bunch of part-time jobs and internships, it still has been the hardest process of finding a full-time job. I have applied for 20+ jobs and yet have not heard from half of the jobs. I am praying I will hear from some of them soon and get that job soon. Over the break, I worked at my dad’s and stepmom’s diner, and it was fun and all, but I know I do not want to be a waitress my whole life after working a full week at the diner. I love running their social media and website, though.
- Take Advantage of Freelancing Positions and Internships. When getting out of college and at the end of your senior year, make sure to always take advantage of freelancing positions and internships. These freelancing and internship positions will be a way for you to get some experience in the meantime while waiting on finding a job.
- Start Applying for Graduate Schools. If you are thinking of applying for graduate schools, start looking now! You will need to look at the requirements to see whether you need to take the GRE, a letter of recommendation, and what GPA you need. It would help if you also decided whether you want to do it online or be on campus. I am taking my online Master of Science in Social Media Management and taking three classes now. If you do online, you have a lot of work throughout the week you have to do, but you can get it done.
- Do Not Stress Over Your Life. The one thing I have been doing is stressing over finding a full-time job. I would love to find my dream job quicker than it is happening. I know I am not supposed to not stress over my life, but I do. I stress all the time, but I keep telling myself that I will find the job. Your life will come in order, but do not stress too much over it.
Well, those are my tips as a college graduate. I hope you all have a wonderful semester and seniors, enjoy it while the semester lasts!
