Coming to college is an exciting time–you have a whole four years to learn, meet new people, have new experiences, and find out more about yourself. Once those four years (or however long it takes) are over, you graduate and enter what many people refer to as the “real world.” A lot of us hear that college is the best four years of your life, and while this could be true for some people, that puts a lot of pressure on us to make college the perfect experience. It can also make graduating seem like a scary thing… because who wants to graduate and leave what is supposed to be the best time of your life?
To find out more about this topic, I interviewed Kaylee Scarpino, a 2019 Ohio State graduate and UBWA alumni. She was able to give me some insight into life post-graduation and advice for those of us who are still in college. Kaylee was a finance major and had envisioned herself working in a bank as a financial planner or analyst after graduation, but she ended up in a position as a treasury analyst, which she didn’t even know existed. Kaylee told me she was amazed at all of the job options and positions that were truly out there and added that it was hard to even understand what some of the positions were.
Kaylee wishes she knew about all the job options that existed before graduation. Some advice she has for those of us in college currently is to talk to people to figure out all the job opportunities there are. Another way to find out more about job options is by utilizing the Office of Career Management, which is a great resource we have here at Ohio State. Kaylee says she wishes she took advantage of this and urges anyone in college to try new things and even look into internships that may be outside of your major if it sounds interesting to you. This may not be of interest to everyone, but if you are curious about something outside of your major, then it could be worth looking into. You may find something new you really enjoy!
One aspect of working a full time job that differs from being a student is that there isn’t always one correct answer to a problem. Kaylee says there’s often more than one way to find a solution and sometimes even more than one solution to whatever problem you are trying to solve. The best way to go about problem solving is evaluating your options and making a decision based on what you think is best, then be able to support why you chose your solution.
Another thing Kaylee wishes she had known before working full time is that a lot of learning happens on the job. Not everything you learn in your college classes will be used in your position and you won’t know how to do everything once you leave college. However, Kaylee informed me that there are a lot of people there to support you, and they don’t expect you to know how to do everything. It is important to remember that it is okay to ask for help if you aren’t sure how to do something.
Having the weekends off was what Kaylee enjoyed most about transitioning to a full time job because she didn’t have to spend them doing homework or studying. I think this is something all of us can look forward to after graduating. Having the weekends free gives you a chance to take on new hobbies, spend more time with friends and family, or just rest.
There will be a lot of changes after you graduate. You will likely have a full time job, you might be living in a new city, and you will have to get accustomed to a new schedule, but it can also be an exciting part of your life. Maybe the best years of your life will be after you graduate. Graduating doesn’t have to be scary. It could actually be a great time for you to grow and learn more about yourself as an individual.
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