Introduction
In my essay, I define what life after college means to most people based on my experience and some general assumptions. There is a certain feeling amongst most students that their life will be different after they leave college compared to if they entered the working world without going to college. My essay defines the experience most students expect to have after leaving college.
The Qualification
A student leaves college with a qualification. The qualification – whether academic (degree) or vocational (certificate or diploma) usually garners respect. This respect comes from either the wider community (usually for academic qualifications) or from specialists and employers (vocational qualifications). There is also usually respect and a sense of pride and achievement from members of the graduate’s family.
Time to become an adult
Many students believe that being in college extends the amount of time they are not yet part of the adult society. This is because students may continue to live with their parents when they are studying, which means house rules similar to those the student had as a child. Alternatively, a student may live in a college dorm, which too may be considered an extension of childhood because there are a lot of rules in dorm–especially when it comes to adult behavior such as smoking, drugs, sex, parties and drinking. It is therefore not illogical to assume that under these circumstances a student experiences an extended childhood.
Getting a job for a better wage
Life after college should mean that a graduate gets a job that pays more money than someone who didn’t go to college. This is true in many cases, though the current economic climate, a qualification or degree of any kind is no guarantee of a job and no guarantee of a higher wage. There are even arguments that experience counts for more in some industries. In jobs where experience is more important than qualifications, the student with the degree is at a disadvantage.
Having to work after being in extended education
Having to work a full-time job after being in extended education is another aspect that defines life after college. A graduate has to adapt from being in college with a fairly easy-going timetable to being in a job with rigorous timeframes. There may be far fewer opportunities to expand knowledge, and a job may become mundane very quickly. There is also the fact that the person may not have much experience working for a boss or working with coworkers and may struggle in adapting to the working life.
Conclusion
Life after college can be defined as when students become adults, when they learn how to work and fit into a corporate environment and when they may get a better wage than if they were unqualified. None of these definitions are set in stone, as there are so many possibilities open to students when they leave college, but the definition given is the one most expected and most experienced by students, both in college and those who have left college.
