With commencement at our doorstep, The Equinox believes in the power of preparation. However, we also recognize that the effectiveness of that preparation depends largely on how much effort students are willing to invest.
Keene State offers several tools and opportunities to help us transition from the classroom to the professional world, but ultimately, it’s up to each of us to make the most of them. Regardless, the administration could be more active in incentivizing students to chase those opportunities.
We believe Keene State does an adequate job in aiding students on their journey into the workforce. Many career fairs take place during the academic year, bringing employers directly to campus, creating opportunities to network and explore potential jobs.
While it differs for every major, connecting with professors can make all the difference when entering your working life after college. We have seen faculty at Keene State showing their commitment to helping students succeed. Internships are available across a wide range of fields, a lot of which you can find on the app Handshake or by talking with your advisors and professors.
Being a liberal arts college has its advantages such as smaller class sizes making for a more personalized learning experience. This also provides more chances for hands-on learning. The small campus environment aids connections and allows you to develop skills useful for connecting with people in your desired field. A large part of those connections come from being involved with the community, participating in student organizations or other extracurriculars.
KSC Career Services, located in the Elliot Center, offers a wide range of services such as resume building, career exploration, interview preparation and mock interviews. By providing such opportunities, students can feel more confident as they prepare for graduation.
But none of these resources are automatic solutions; they require initiative. It’s easy to overlook a career fair or to put off an internship application, but doing so can mean missing out on meaningful opportunities. The truth is, Keene State gives us the tools. It’s our responsibility to use them.
However, The Equinox believes Keene State falls poorly in financial education. While we are taught to think critically and contribute meaningfully to our chosen industries, we are not commonly offered the practical financial skills we will require, such as comprehending student loans, budgeting, credit, and taxes. These are practical skills that all students, regardless of major, should possess after graduation. It is a curriculum deficit that should be addressed, particularly when students face escalating living costs and debt obligations.
With higher education being backed into a corner, we are concerned how the administration will choose to combat that. The college manages with the resources allotted but there are always areas of improvement.
Alongside the First Year Seminar course, upcoming graduates could benefit from a similar course ensuring they are well prepared for any obstacles that may come with graduating college.
Ultimately, Keene State provides us with a firm basis on which to develop our careers. However, that foundation is only as solid as the effort we put into employing the resources provided to us. Our college experience is what we make of it, and that should include advocating for the support that we still require. The Equinox strongly believes that our seniors should feel confident when leaving the nest, and prepared to spread their wings and fly.
