Many students think graduating in four years on a warm May day is how college ends, but for others, college ends on a cold December day after just three years.
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Taylor Cain, a diplomacy alumna, graduated in three years last May to take a job that wouldn’t have been available year later. Cain graduated and took a job as the deputy data director for the Montana Democratic Party for the 2018 Midterm Election in Billings, Montana.
“I wanted to start working and start making a difference as soon as I could,” Cain said. Cain thinks it was the right move because this job wouldn’t have been possible if she waited and graduated a year later, she said.
Gabrielle Schwab, a senior journalism and public relations major, is graduating in December, a semester early, and plans to take a gap semester before entering law school.
Schwab said she is thinking about coming back to SHU for law school or going to Rutgers. Schwab said she never thought about graduating early.
She started taking 18 credits per semester early on and said she didn’t find it challenging. She juggled 18 credits, two jobs, was in a sorority and commuted.
Last year, when she was meeting with her adviser, she was told she could graduate a semester early and all she had to do was take one summer class.
“I figured it would be good to get done early, have that break, as well as save a little money along the way,” Schwab said. She suggested students take as many classes as they can without overwhelming themselves, but she said it is possible to take a lot of classes, work and still find time to have fun.
Gina Hernandez Assistant Director of the Career Center said that students thinking about graduating early should come see her sooner rather than later to start getting familiar with job searching strategies and processes.
“There are opportunities that might get posted in the early months of the semester,” Hernandez said, “Some hiring processes may take a little while so it’s a good idea to start getting on people’s radar.” She added there are still lots of internships in Navigator and if students can fit one into their schedule with classes and everything else going on, then it would be good to squeeze in one final internship.
Hernandez stressed that the job search isn’t just online, but it is also about networking and making phone calls to people.
The Career Center will hold their first Career Fair of the year on Sept. 26 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Richie Regan Recreation and Athletic Center. Hernandez said that it would be a great place to start networking at.
“It’s really the work you put into it, regardless of when you graduate,” Hernandez said. So if it’s in August, December, or May you need to make sure you are on top of your search.
Veronica Gaspa can be reached at veronica.gaspa@student.shu.edu.
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