Mecca of UC Merced

A Student's Reality

Kristen Nelson - SSHA Career Consultant

This past weekend I was speaking with a friend about how half of college graduates are unemployed or underemployed. What a scary statistic. It was concerning to think that despite all the hard work earning a college education, there might not be a job waiting once finished.

I understand there is a variety of reasons people go to college, but it seems that the majority of us go because we want to have a career to make enough money and support desired endeavors. When I was younger, there was a simple formula to be “just like Mom and Dad.”  You go to school, get good grades.  You graduate high school, you get good grades. You go to college, you get good grades.  This will one day accumulate to having many opportunities for a great future.

Of course, growing up I have learned that this formula is nonexistent. My family was hit hard in 2007 when the economy plummeted and unemployment skyrocketed. During high school, it was common to hear that only one parent was working. I grew up in the Palm Springs area, where the economy relies heavily on tourism. Many of the jobs are seasonal, and when the recession hit, it only made sense that even really wealthy people couldn’t afford to go on vacation.  My dad, who had always had a great paying job, wasn’t able to find work for a long time. All his experience and education didn’t mean very much when there just weren’t any jobs available.

But the sad reality is that it hasn’t gotten much better.  Currently, according to the September 7, 2012 issued news release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate is 8.3%.

And the unemployment rate in Merced is a staggering 17.3%.  I have been sheltered from this statistic for the past three years. I have grown accustom to what I call the “UC Merced Mecca of Opportunity”, that has nearly 900 available student positions. I have taken for granted the many resources and professionals just waiting to help students get work experience, internships, etc. I have looked over the fact that I have only had to compete with a relatively small college student body for jobs.

        We are in a bubble that we will one day have to step out of. Maybe my ignorance can be best described by Theodore Levitt, an American economist, who wrote, “If thinking is an intellectual response to a problem, then the absence of a problem leads to the absence of thinking.” This unemployment problem is real, it’s out there, and it will soon affect me again. I just have forgotten and maybe I am not the only one.

          Someday there will be an instance in our lives, regardless of the economy, where we lose our job or go through a time where we are unable to find one. Rejection even in the broadest sense is hard and my hope is that during these times you find solace in the lesson of Levitt’s words. Problems, though despised, force us to grow, drive us to find a solution, and ultimately strengthen who we are.

           

         So yes, our generation faces a dilemma. But it gives what we do during these 4 years, even more of a purpose. Experience all that you can: volunteer, get a job on campus, join clubs, pledge with a fraternity. And during this very important part of your life, be aware of the obstacles ahead, and think about what you can do now to be a part of the solution and not the statistic.

Kristen Nelson is a junior at UC Merced, currently working on a Management and Economics double major, with a Psychology minor. Kristen is currently the Career Consultant for the School of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts.  She hopes to work in university administration, particularly with Student Affairs, or Human Resources.  In her free time, she enjoys cooking, leisure reading, and running and cycling with her friends.