For the past few years, every time it gets closer to Spring graduation for the colleges, articles pop up all over the internet talking about the job marker and how because of the way the economy is, it's not looking so good.
This isn't very reassuring news for people like me. I'm still in school but not for very much longer. I only have Fall semester before I'll be in the same position as a lot of other graduates, looking for a full-time job. It scares me thinking about this fact. I graduate in December and will be looking for a job after that (actually before then) but there's a really good chance I won't find one that soon. I'm sure it'll be several months before I actually find something.
Even then, like many articles say, it probably won't be full-time or even in my field. Even having a master's degree probably won't be much help. The sad truth is the job market is just bleak right now.
I did stay in school and go for a Master's degree partly because of the way the job market was looking a couple of years ago. It seemed like a better idea at the time. Give the economy a chance to pick itself back up while I work on my Master's.
But here it is a couple of years later and while things have improved slightly, it's not a whole lot better which is certainly not reassuring.
As it is right now, it's just been hard enough to find a part-time job to help pay for expenses. Of course, I haven't exactly tried hard enough to find something and I also tend to be a bit picky when it comes to jobs. But still, there just isn't a whole lot of options out there and not that many people are hiring. They just can't avoid to higher people.
To make things worse, like several articles say, the tuition rates keep going up and because of that more students have to take out loans. I'm one of those students. At this point, I've already taken out several loans just to get through. I've received some scholarships. Most have just been basic scholarships and while they have certainly helped some, it's still not enough. I'm not quite done with school yet but I'm already dreading how much I'm going to have to pay back when I'm finally finished.
The thought scares me especially not knowing how soon I'll be able to get a job. I have some money from refunds that I intend on using to pay back but still.
I've also read articles that talk about how because of student loan debt many graduates put off getting married or starting a family. I'm going to be one of those graduates. I don't plan on getting married anytime soon but it's more because I'm wanting to get my career and such settled first before I even consider such things. Although, the student loan thing is also another part of it. I already know I'm going to be paying off my student loans for quite some time.
It's crazy really when you think about it. The fact that it costs so much just to go to college. And yet, people tell you that you should go to college so you can get a better job. Then as it is right now, people are struggling to make enough money just so their kids can go to college but college tuition is rising. Everything is, except the paycheck as I'm frequently told by my parents.
It's just crazy. Everything is. It's almost not even worth it to get a bachelor's degree anymore. It just depends on the field youo go into. A Master's degree seems to be one way to buy some extra time before finding a job but even then the outlook is perhaps only slightly better.
I'm one of the voices of many students everywhere. We need a break. Something. If higher education is so important, why is it that many of us are struggling to pay for it and still pay for it afterwards.
Even when I was beginning college, it wasn't easy. I applied for student aid but couldn't get it because according to them my parents made too much money. Despite the fact that I needed the aid. As it is the only reason, I'm getting through now is because I'm finally able to receive aid since now my parent's can't claim me. I dread the end when I know I'll have to start paying money back.
There's also the issue that despite having degrees, sometimes you still can't find a job. Some jobs want people with experience and yet many graduates don't have the experience.
It's all just a big complicated mess and in the end, you still end up with a lot of graduates with no job and a huge pile of student loan debt.
The future scares me. I can only hope that I'll be one of the lucky ones.
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