Seniors gear up to graduate in the upcoming Spring and Summer. While many of us are excited about our new journeys, the lack of proper support can be intimidating. Some of us believe we are certain about our life goals when we start college, but these can change many times before graduation.
Making the right career choices requires support from peers, family and most importantly, advisors and professors. Seniors can benefit from gaining hands-on experience through internships to help them make the right career decisions.
“I feel like my professors helped tremendously,” Health Science major, Kamryn Dean said. “I was able to build relationships with the staff because they’ve always taken the time to answer any questions that I have about the career I’m considering.”
During my time here, I have developed lifelong relationships with professors and advisors, such as Cynthia Elsberry, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology and Wellness, who has been beyond beneficial to my career aspirations and academic success. She helped me narrow down graduate programs I could apply for with my health science degree.
The classes we take align with our majors, giving us a glimpse of what to expect in our careers.
“The clinical experience I gained gave me perspective on what it would be like working daily as a nurse,” Nursing major, Sadie LeBouf said. “The nursing staff was also very supportive and provided information on joining the nursing workforce.
Many students aren’t sure what they plan to do after graduating college.
While professors and advisors offer valuable support, a greater focus should be placed on hands-on experience in all career fields, not just nursing and dental hygiene. Internships should be required, along with the development of a post-graduation plan.
“I think our Capstone project should include a perspective on post-graduation,” Health Science major, Kelsie Oliver said. “Potential jobs should be discussed, given the broad nature of the health science field. This would enable graduates to make wiser career choices and be more realistic about life after graduation.”
Prior to taking Interprofessional Collaboration and the Capstone class, I assumed these were internship requirements and was a bit disappointed that they were not. Supportive professors and advisors have been a great help along the way, but there is always room for new approaches to supporting graduates.
