Another school year will soon be coming to an end, and another batch of seniors are preparing to move on and join the real world. However, a common problem is not all seniors have an idea of where they will be going or what they will be doing after receiving a degree.
On Saturday, May 21, UNH’s graduating class of 2016 will be outside on Memorial Field listening to Richard Haas, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, as he delivers the commencement speech.
All of the students listening to Haas’ speech hope to have a plan, whether it be beginning a job, medical or law school, or going to graduate school. Unfortunately, not everyone has started thinking about what they are going to be doing.
“The future should be nervous about me,” said Tom Lynch, a senior sociology major with a minor in both justice studies and philosophy.
Although Lynch has not begun job hunting, he believes that he has it all figured out.
“I’m going to get in touch with a family friend who said he would set me up with a medical device sales job,” Lynch said.
Lynch joked around about the idea of getting a job, but when asked what would happen if his potential job falls through, he started to be more serious.
“Realistically I would look at some of the law offices around my hometown,” Lynch said. “I would look at Fidelity, and a pharmaceutical company one of my friends works for in Boston who said they are hiring.”
Although Lynch is a sociology major with a minor in justice studies and philosophy, he chose to look for jobs in the pharmaceutical and medical sales fields because of the salary.
“There is so much more potential for salary growth in those fields,” Lynch stated. “I am holding out for more money.”
Lynch is hopeful that his lead in medical sales will turn out to be a job.
Unlike Lynch, some students are planning on pursuing further schooling. Jennifer Durkee, a senior studying human development and family studies, is going to be continuing her education at UNH in pursuit of her Master’s degree.
“I decided to enroll in the University of New Hampshire’s graduate program because I feel like I could get a better job with a Master’s versus a Bachelor’s,” Durkee said.
It is a difficult task to get accepted into UNH’s graduate program and continue schooling. According to the university’s website, requirements to apply to the graduate program include a personal statement essay, proficient GRE test scores, three letters of recommendation, prior college transcripts, an application fee and any additional requirements that the particular department asks for.
“The application was tedious and took a lot of effort,” said Durkee. “I was very nervous while I waited to hear back from the university letting me know if I was accepted.”
Although Durkee has a plan to continue her education, she has not applied for any jobs yet and does not have an idea of what she is going to do after school. She said that she will begin searching for a job once she is closer to receiving her Master’s degree in early childhood education.
Other students have been lucky enough to have multiple options for jobs after graduation. Ricky Chamberland, a senior studying economics and justice studies with a minor in forensics, is fortunate enough to have a few offers on the table before graduating in May.
“I’m excited and anxious for graduating,” Chamberland said. “I’m excited for the real world, but am still anxious because of the uncertainty of the real world.”
Chamberland has been a resident assistant or community assistant for the past three years he has attended UNH. Working at this position has fortunately led him to multiple job offers with the Housing Department at UNH.
“The Housing Department has been very generous and influential part of my time here at UNH,” said Chamberland. “I wish to continue down this path in student affairs.”
Chamberland does not know which offer he will be taking, but he does have opportunities due to people he has met in the past.
As the end of May is quickly approaching, these students will soon take the next step in creating their future.
