As the fall semester is coming to an end, the December commencement ceremony is quickly approaching. For many students, graduation is the final steppingstone into the real world. There are many questions for students exiting college, primarily what they are actually going to do with the degree they earned in the years spent here.
One of the best ways students can help themselves feel prepared to start a career is an internship or field experience. For some graduates, they are ready and excited to enter the workforce.
“I feel ready and prepared to graduate. I already have a job that I love and get to go full time after I’m done with school,” Kaitlyn Sapp, who is graduating in December, said.
“I feel ready to graduate. I have a full-time job lined up post-graduation, so that eases a lot of my nerves about graduating. I feel that the individual relationships that I have with my professors have had a really great impact on my preparation for the future. I have received a lot of individualized feedback and advice from my professors that has helped me both in the classroom and in my professional world,” Madalyn Schmitt, who is graduating in May, said.
For others there is nervousness about taking the leap from here to the unknown.
“Graduating college with my bachelor’s degree this December feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Now that it’s November, there’s still a lot to do but I am so ready for this change of life after college! I feel a little bit nervous but I’m ready to leave to be honest. While I’m excited to start my new teaching position, 3rd grade, I’m also a little nervous about overseeing my own classroom by myself. I’ve had experience and practice in this sort of thing, but now it’s more real than it may have felt before,” Janie Gestautas, who is graduating in December, said.
All three students asserted the necessity of internships in their success and believe that they are crucial when preparing for a student’s next steps.
“Eureka College has helped me to prepare for my future with observations, field work, practicas, and lastly student teaching. All four of these types of internships have taught me different skills and aspects of the classroom since each one focuses on a different part of the world of teaching. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. It is hard work but it’s work that prepares you for the outer world, the workforce,” Janie said.
“I have found internships the most helpful when it comes to preparing for the real world. Through several internships, credit or not, I have gotten hands-on experience and figured out what I don’t like and do like while building my resume. I think all students should have to complete an internship that relates to their major in some aspect before graduating. My internships have been super beneficial. There is a lot more to learn outside of the classroom about the real world,” Kaitlyn said.
“I feel that my Reagan Mentorship in Tennessee this summer was really helpful. I was able to gain a lot of perspective on social issues that are important to me, learn how to independently live in and explore a new city, and use my talents in a non-profit setting. I have also worked in the industry that I am planning to work in throughout my four years of college, which has also been really beneficial to my education. Having practical career experience alongside the concepts I am learning in my classes helps to contextualize and solidify what I am learning,” Madalyn said.
Each of these students have had different learning experiences outside of the classroom and have been involved in different spaces across campus. They all can agree on how much more they learned outside of their classroom experiences.
David Speiser is the head of career services at Eureka College and emphasized the importance of reaching out to him and creating an account on Handshake.
“Students can prepare for their transition in at least two ways. First, students should ensure their application materials are strong by bringing their résumé and cover letters to the Career Services office for review, or come in to write these documents if they don’t have them already. Secondly, few things can better equip a job seeker than preparation and research. Whether it’s coming to Career Services to practice interviewing, or researching a company or an industry independently, preparation and research will help you stand out in an interview,” Speiser said.
When college comes to an end it can lead to a lot of emotions, both excitement and fear, but it’s safe to say the college is doing their best to help students succeed in that next step in their life.
