Most students spend four years taking credit after credit at Creighton. All the while, they are working toward the highly anticipated graduation day. That day comes and goes and can leave some students thinking, “Now what?”
“This period of life is kind of like being in a slump,” said Moira Knight, a Creighton class of 2011 graduate.
This “slump” is not a rare occurrence. Linda Dunn, a career and academic advisor at Creighton’s Career Center, said that this is to be expected and embraced.
“[The transitional period] can include getting to know the custom of where they go to work,” Dunn said. “It’s very different from campus culture. Basics include finding a place to live, maybe having to move to work. They may have to get used to a whole new environment.”
This has been the case for Knight, who recently moved out of her parent’s house and into an apartment in Chicago to start her job as a nurse at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in the Neonatal ICU.
“The hardest part has been accepting that I am no longer in college and I shouldn’t expect my everyday life to be like what I did the past four years of life,” Knight said. “I don’t have to be a complete grown-up yet, but I have had to accept that I will not be living the crazy life of college any longer.”
Arts & Sciences senior Kira Olson is preparing for the transition from college life and into the real world after graduation this spring.
“Uncertainty is always scary but from what I have found that is also what really brings the most joy in life in the long run,” Olson said. “It will be hard adjusting without my friends and without a place where a group of people my age will be together all the time.”
The Career Center offers services to make this transition smoother and easier for graduating seniors.
“We help with the mechanics, like cover letters, resumes and how to do a job search,” Dunn said. “We have connections here with alumni in other areas of the country and businesses that recruit for Creighton.”
Olson has seen the Career Center help students firsthand, having worked there since freshman year.
“I know all of the counselors on a personal level and they have been invaluable in helping me in my search for employment,” Olson said. “They offer a wide variety of services for all types of students no matter what their ambitions are.”
Although the transition from college life to the real world may be scary and unpredictable, Dunn said she suggests staying positive.
“Be aware that the job may not come right away,” Dunn said. “Don’t get discouraged, don’t let your confidence wane. Keep researching and make yourself stand out.”