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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 2, 2003)
ursday, October 2, | ATION BATTALION 9A Thursday, October 2, 2003 umbei T’ve got my degree, now what?’ ^ollege grad, pamphleteer stresses planning for a career ille OHIO * Columbus blosion ler ky kills fighters gcst maker of wo nes. chips and are fed into its sen h supplies powers UswEnglish worked as a waitress at the Alta Coffee & Roasting Co. in California after earning a busi- d to New Knoxville,’: tsseconomic degree at the University of California at Santa Barbara. English has authored pamphlets in f about 900 people! feliopes of getting high school and college students thinking about a career before they graduate les north of Dayton is less tivity spacious habitats,,: Hutchins, director,, vation for the,, oo and Aquarium who was not part of i w give animalst ir enclosures such or them to patrol res for them to d. tish researchers iptive species and’ ta on infant mcr-' which anint- Ygnacio Nanetti • KRT CAMPUS By Michelle Himmelberg KRT CAMPUS forth NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — The Alta Wee & Roasting Co. is a cool enough place. into an eclectic neighborhood on 31st Si, it serves a good latte and the occasional poetiy reading or music jam. It’s just not the kind of workplace Melissa Etiglish had envisioned while studying for a traness/economics degree at the University ofCalifomia. Santa Barbara. But there she was, a high school valedicto- tian who graduated from college with honors, coffee and politely asking if she should leave room for cream. Her credentials — no clue what to do in the real world — helped her rapidly advance lo the position of president and CEO of the Tvegotmy degree, now what?” club. Meanwhile, she cringed each time she took an order from a young, well-dressed pro fessional who apparently had figured out how toputhisorher education to good use. English tells this cruel story on herself. She 000 scientific artiH 'M the coffee house about two years ago, did d since the l%0s/: ually a sign thatt lack stimulation!} I work for six months, got laid off I now works in the mortgage industry, at DuxfordFinancial Inc. in Newport Beach. She also wrote a pair of booklets that she hopes will prevent other students from stum bling around the way she did on her way from school to career. The booklets are aimed at high school and college students, with slight variations. The college edition, with a yellow caution sign on the cover, is titled “The College- Educated Waiter; How are you going to apply your degree?” The high school edition has a red cover: “Valedictorian turned Waiter; Why you need to think about careers NOW!” English self-published the booklets and is looking for a way to distribute them in high schools and colleges. “I learned too late that college is only part of the puzzle,” she said. “You have to plan for a career. Just because you have a degree does n’t mean you are guaranteed a professional job you will love. You have to do the legwork. ... early on in your college experience. The time to start thinking about careers is now!” She repeats this last line several times, concerned that students will dismiss it. The books are written in a fun, breezy style, with helpful exercises and illustrations drawn by a friend. They include letters from other students, some who successfully found jobs they liked and some who thought the perfect career would magically appear within weeks after graduation. English, 25, still lives in Newport Beach and thrives on the California lifestyle, surfing and snowboarding and playing guitar. But the grief still quivers in her face as she ticks off some of her advice for students who have no career direction. Don’t pay for tuition — or let parents pay — before you’ve investigated jobs or careers you might like doing someday. Do use the career center and library, but keep going. Get some hands-on experience in fields that interest you. Do internships early — junior and senior year of high school. Network with people in the field you’re pursuing. Don’t choose a college major first. Choose a career first. English offers herself up as an “unsuccess ful role model.” “You think you’re doing everything right, being really focused on classes, working hard and getting good grades,” she said. “But it wasn’t a very good plan because I didn't know where I was going. “Once you’re out of school, your flexibili ty goes down the drain. You might not find out until then that you don’t like sitting in a cubi cle, but you still have bills to pay.” English thought she was being practical when she chose business and economics as a major. Her father took the same approach and is a successful computer engineer. Her moth er, an artist, nudged her in that direction. Only now does English realize she ignored many of her own creative talents and interests because she was so focused on getting a degree. After college, she began custom-painting furniture and occasionally sells her pieces, and she takes on interior-design projects. But that's likel/to remain a side interest because she intends to go back to school for a master’s degree. While at UCSB, English explored resources at the career center, but found the “2-inch thick books” to be intimidating. She wishes she had started looking for career guidance in high school, peppering coun selors with more questions about career fields than college applications. She wishes she had taken more time to get on-the-job experience to augment her studies. “Most schools.just aren’t addressing this issue, and if they do it’s sporadic,” she said. “Until they do, it’s up to parents to encourage children to explore careers early.” >sures. ^7 Islamic Center 0444* Come visit your local mosque and learn more about Islam. Get to know your Muslim neighbors, enjoy international food. Arts nipt Saturday, October 4 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM For more details, please visit wwwicbcs.org Also, important lecture tonight! Muhammad: Man & Myth MSC 226, Thursday @ 7:30 pm Islamic Center 417 Stasney Street Sponsored by die Islamic Community of Bryan/College Station & the Muslim Students’ Association SALOON’ BIGGEST DANCE FLOOR IN BRAZOS VALLEY THURSDAY. FRIDAY & SATURDAY Open 8pm-2am Ladies No Cover ALL NIGHT LONG Guys $ 2.00 Cover ALL NIGHT LONG 1600 S. College, Bryan 775-1852 (The old Rodeo 2000 location) 5th Annual Strike -A- i Thon I Five people per >aw £ only *15 per person. Free t-shirts, door prizes and awards for top bowlers. orw October 7 S, 9 s, Plocker £ Welrner or October 8, 9,10 at Rudder Fountain Questions? Email strikeathoneyahoo.con HELP US STRIKE OUT 5REAST CANCER! Graduate Students and Seniors WHO’S WHO AMONG STUDENTS IN AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES 2003 - 2004 TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY Who’s Who applications are now available for both graduate students and senior undergraduates in the following locations: Office of the Dean of each College Office of Graduate Studies (302 Administration) Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs (IO ,h Floor Rudder) Commandant’s Office (Military Sciences Building) Student Programs Office (2 nd Floor MSC) Student Activities Office (125 Koldus Building) Sterling C. Evans Library West Campus Library http://studentactivities.tamu.edu/whoswho Completed applications are due to the Office of Graduate Studies or the Department of Student Activities no later than 5 p.m., on Friday, October 24, 2003. Applications may be personally delivered or sent through US Mail or Campus Mail to either: Office of Graduate Studies Dept, of Student Activities ATTN: Who’s Who ATTN: Who’s Who 1113 TAMU 1236 TAMU 302 Administration Building 125 John J. Koldus Building College Station, TX 77843-1113 College Station. TX 77843-1236 Questions may be referred to: Kim Widdison (845-3631) Sandy Briers (862-1973) kwiddison@vprmail.tamu.edu sandy @ stuact.tamu.edu 77777 vG/vVVvVvV eIlection Commission /STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION TKXi-VS AA.VI UNIVERSITY (J 7777(7777777777 V ..»/ r I- g, 'Ww r_ E E IK*. H jpr Jpjjaai INI B||f j|r 4Spi, JpM gyr-L. 77777777777777 Class of 2007 Elections Vote for YOUR Class Council and Student Senate today! October 1 st and 2 nd 9AM to 5PM Vote at the MSC, Commons Lobby, West Campus Library, and at vote.tamu.edu 77777777777777