College. It seems like everyone is going these days. Why? It’s becoming the “norm.” If you graduate high school without an acceptance letter from a university you’re almost considered a loser. Naturally, we are left to believe that getting a Bachelor’s Degree makes us “winners” then, right? Well, it’s hard to feel like a winner when 1 in 2 new graduates are underemployed or jobless in today’s world. Believe it or not, the job prospects for Bachelor’s Degree holders fell last year to the lowest level in more than a decade. With statistics like this, it makes us wonder whether or not our college degrees, and moreso hefty tuition payments, were worth it. With statistics like this, it makes us wonder why we entered college with such high hopes for ourselves.

Marina Keegan of Yale, a prolific writer for yaledailynews.com who unfortunately died Saturday, May 26^th in a car accident articulated this “high hope” feeling best when she said: “When we came to Yale, there was this sense of possibility. This immense and indefinable potential energy – and it’s easy to feel like that’s slipped away… Some of us have focused ourselves. Some of us know exactly what we want and are on the path to get it; already going to med school, working at the perfect NGO, doing research… For most of us, however, we’re somewhat lost in this sea of liberal arts. Not quite sure what road we’re on and whether we should have taken it. ‘If only I had majored in biology… if only I’d gotten involved in journalism as a freshman… if only I thought to apply for this or for that…”

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could take that immense and indefinable potential energy and harness it? Let it NOT slip away. How? You might ask.

Well, we all enter college with a potential interest. Based off that interest, we pick majors, fulfill course requirements, study for exams, pass the tests, acquire the grades and then the degree, and don’t question ourselves in the process. We then graduate thinking those “if only” thoughts. What if colleges offered a three-credited course geared towards the job hunt? A course that instructed students on the limitless possibilities one has based on his/her major, the building of one’s personal profile, the in’s and out’s of the job search process, the do’s and don’ts of interviewing, and more.

One might say, “Well that’s what colleges have career centers for.” True, but students must go to the career centers on their own time. After they are done with their classes, and their homework, and their tutoring sessions, and their sorority/fraternity functions, and their sport’s practices, and their part/full time jobs/internships, and… Students don’t want to go to things on their own time.  That’s their time for spending time with friends, talking to mom and dad on the phone, playing “catch up” on their favorite TV series, partying all night, etc.

Have a three-credited course dedicated to landing a job out of college (have it count as an elective towards the 120 credit requirement needed to graduate), and students are bound to sign up. Why? It’s a win-win. The course helps pave the path for the future and the students, not wanting to fail the course, will do all the work necessary to receive an “A” and graduate college walking down that path.

RNR is working towards establishing this class and making it a reality…