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Saying Goodbye To College

By Melanie Spina
Staff Writer

Saying goodbye is not an easy thing to do, but there comes a time in life when we have to let go. With the end of the semester approaching, seniors find themselves preparing to graduate and leave college behind.

We all have to face that day when we will be standing with our future in our hands, but, as we look ahead, we will also have to say goodbye to our friends, professors, and everyone who was there for us during all those years.

Stephanie Ruhle, a senior Broadcasting major, claims that when she thinks about the future and how she’ll be graduating in a month, she feels herself in panic mode.

“I am so strung out on the fact that I will not be a kid anymore,” Ruhle said. Once you graduate from college, that’s it, it’s time to actually grow up and pursue your life as an adult. Needing to have your life planned out can be very nerve wrecking for students. “It’s the most stressful feeling knowing you don’t have a career lined up,” Ruhle added.

Graduating from college means having to take the big step of pursuing your career. The ideal situation would be to have a perfect job waiting for you as you graduate, but this unfortunately isn’t always the case.

“I have sent out resumes, emails, I’ve gone to so many job fairs. I believe that this whole process is the most stressful thing ever,” Ruhle said. Being a college graduate in today’s job force is tough. Many of the jobs you’re trying to apply to want a good amount of experience and it just makes you wonder: how am I going to get all this experience they want when every job I apply to wants all of these years of experience and nobody is offering jobs?

As a Broadcasting major, although Ruhle appreciates her time at LIU Post, she doesn’t believe she has been going in the best direction for her career.

“I feel that I had to do a lot of job searching on my own and I also feel that other majors get placed in internships,” she said. However, Ruhle is not completely disappointed with what she has accomplished during her years at Post. “I had an amazing experience, with field hockey and friends,” Ruhle said, “but I feel that I could have pushed my academic career a couple more notches.”

Media Arts Professor Jennifer Cusumano said that no matter what major or university, finding a job is the student’s responsibility. She believes that professors are here to encourage, point students in direction, connect them with good internships and show them how to find these, but the effort, the intention, and the motivation has to come from the student.

“University is not job placement, we are not a trade school, so I think the student should absolutely take advantage of their relationship with their professors, pick their brains about jobs in the industry,” Cusumano said.

Other students agree with Ruhle that the thought of graduating can bring on a lot of nervousness as to what the future holds for them.

“It’s bittersweet, meaning I’m happy I’m graduating and it’s good to see my accomplishments,” said Juanita Ramirez, a senior Psychology major, “But I have a bond and love for my friends and this school. You can’t help but imagine what will happen once you graduate or if you’re going to be successful after graduation. Was it all worth it? In a sense.”

Being a senior at this time of the year can be very scary; it’s that time in life when you start to realize that you have to leave a lot of stuff behind and begin your actual life. Graduating is like taking that final leap into adulthood. Even the thought of being a senior next year still completely freaks me out. You start to get those thoughts where you question yourself, wondering if you actually have your life together or if you made the right decisions. But I believe having these doubts is something normal.

With only a month to graduation, seniors should embrace how hard they worked to get to this moment and they should celebrate their achievements. Yes, the future is scary, but graduating is a step in the right direction!

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