A little less depressing news for grads | The Triangle

A little less depressing news for grads

Life sucks, and then you die. But hell, at least you can get stuff done every once in a while. Or at least, that’s what we think it must feel like after finishing four or five years studying at Drexel University. But let’s be real, the graduates this year should be looking onward with some hope for the future. At least graduates from Drexel University.

Graduating college seniors across the country are facing an uncertain job market, potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in student debt and unpaid internships that specify the applicant must have three years experience. Universities have been slashing academic budgets in favor of new student amenities — bigger recreation centers with integrated saunas and waterpark facilities, dormitories that look like hotels from the future, complete with linen service, stadiums with capacities of 60,000 or more, etc.

Meanwhile, research dollars have become ever more important as well, and increasing research specialization and complexity has come at the expense of professors’ teaching time. Who has time to teach students how to write a resume when the real money is in 3D-printed nanobioinfomatics research?

Across the country, then, seniors are graduating less prepared and more indebted than ever before. It would be foolish to say this trend does not extend to Drexel University; after all, our main engineering labs were demolished for “luxury” apartments. But Drexel at least has one difference — we have a co-op program. Our seniors are graduating with six months to a year and a half of real experience in their field, and that may just be enough to push them over the hiring wall.

So sure, you’re graduating with multiple thousands of dollars of debt. Guess what? You also know how to write a resume and how to handle yourself in a job interview. Sallie Mae might garnish your wages for the next 20 years, but at least you’ll have a job so you can get started on paying off your student debts. So while your friends are desperately trying to file for Chapter seven or Chapter 13 bankruptcy only to find that it doesn’t apply to student loans, you’ll be sitting pretty with your job and 15 percent wage garnishment.
Let’s face it, as much as we like to complain about rising tuition, crippling student loan debt and de-emphasization of academics, Drexel University really is your best bet in the American higher education system.