Tough economic times are causing students to ask what they will do after they graduate next semester.
Graduation should be a time of excitement and relief, but, for many students, it has become a time of stress. Students battle economic hardships right after graduating college.
Some careers, such as ones in the medical field, have a shortage of employees. A group of senior nursing students who are graduating this semester are preparing to take their field’s board exam at the end of January in order to start their careers in nursing right away.
Among the group was senior nursing major Priya Sharma. She plans on beginning her career as a registered nurse right after she passes the exam.
Although a career in nursing is promising, Sharma understands that relocating may be an option she will need to consider.
“It’s hard in Southern California to find jobs,” Sharma said. “We’re all looking elsewhere.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in the nation was at 9 percent in October.
People between the ages of 20 and 24 had a 14 percent unemployment rate in the nation. Just in California, the unemployment rate in October was 11.7 percent. In October 2001, the unemployment rate in California was 6.1 percent.
Jonas Nakas, a graduating senior photography major, is planning on building up his résumé while he looks for jobs. He said he wants to pursue a career in photography, but right now he is not sure how to make ends meet with a photo degree.
“I’m sure I could get something kind of crappy if I needed to, but I’m really trying to find work that’s relevant to me,” Nakas said via email.
Besides the unemployment rate increasing, rent is also going up.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, rent went up 1 percent in October. Rent has been slowly rising every month since February.
Many students live with one or more roommates in order to split the cost of expensive rent.
Sharma lives off campus in a nearby apartment and said that many of the other nursing students lived around the Cal State Long Beach area.
Other options would be to move back home with family members after graduating to avoid paying high rent. For Nakas, his family lives in Michigan, and he wants to stay in California to pursue his career in photography.
“I’m lucky though, I’ll be moving in with my girlfriend, so I’ll have a commiserator to split rent with,” Nakas said.
For the most part, students are still happy to be out of school, even with the stress that lies ahead.
“It’s exciting to finally be out of school for what feels like the first time in my life,” Nakas said.
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