It is not the fact that the Associated Press published the story. Or the subject matter. No, what feels like a twist of the blade during a jam-packed “dead week” is the timing of the AP’s “1 in 2 new graduates are jobless or underemployed.”
David Demic
Thanks, guys. The students at the University of Wyoming really feel the love.
Reading the story as a college student equates to having a massive leech suck out every last ounce of hope from their Ramen-nourished bodies.
“About 1.5 million, or 53.6 percent, of bachelor’s degree-holders under the age of 25 last year were jobless or underemployed, the highest share in at least 11 years,” according to the article.
Fantastic. So there are 1.5 million people graduating in May who will be feeling that pressure.
The article goes on to explain that a bachelor’s degree represents little to no advantage over a high school diploma. In fact, most of those holding bachelor’s degrees actually work jobs that require only a high school diploma.
While statistics can often distort local realities, the outlook for the Mountain West is not any rosier in this case. According to the story, the “Mountain West was most likely to have young college graduates jobless or underemployed—roughly 3 in 5.”
At this point, I wish I had some uplifting, inspiring or really pretty words to make it all better for all the other graduates out there. I wish that I were freaking out about my finals and not the doomsday-like prospect of graduating and finding a job. But, like the rest of you graduates, I am just hoping for the best.
For what it is worth, the last few years at UW have been a great experience and have taught me many things. Maybe it is finally time to travel the world and do some kind of masculine version of “Eat, Pray, Love”—perhaps I could write a book about college. I would call it something like “Study, Drink, Starve.”
And then, while my 30th resume for the week is going on a journey through the mail, maybe I will write a manifesto about the “Quarter Life Crisis” and how little recognition college students get for the insanity graduation means for most of us.
Whatever you have to do to give yourself some hope for your future, do not despair. There are always options, like starting your own business if the current ones all require “5 years of experience.” Move to another country. If the U.S. does not value highly educated workers, there are other places that certainly do.
Either way, may the odds ever be in your favor.
Or something like that.
