Life After Graduation
The University of Houston has around 40,000 to 50,000 people enrolled per semester and a lot of them continue on towards graduation.
Though it is a very exciting time for most students, it can bring fear and anxiety to some. There are some students who know exactly what they are doing after graduation, like student Jackeline Velasquez, a senior majoring in digital media major with a minor in organizational leadership and supervision. She had a interview in March and secured a job for the summer. Even though she knows what she is doing after graduation, she is still afraid of the unknown.
“It’s definitely a little terrifying.” She mentioned when asked about the big day.
There are also a lot of students like Joelle Gnikpingo, a senior majoring in English with a psychology minor. Unlike Jackeline she does not have a job lined up after she graduates. When asked about her plans she stated that she doing a lot of seeking and that hoped she could find a job soon. The thought of graduating and having to find a job right after college is stressful to majority of students, but they still seem to be in high hopes. Joelle stated that despite that, she was excited to graduate.
I’m excited to be done with school, I’m excited I did it in three years.”
The undergraduate success rate from the University of Houston tends to have mixed reviews. In the school of Social Work 95% of students found work after they graduated, having the lowest rate of unemployment between the five colleges looked at with the Hilton College being right behind it. The school of Natural Sciences and Mathematics had the highest rate of unemployment at 60.71% and an employment rate of 39.29%. While the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and the school of Education tend to be more in the middle. CLASS had 54% employed, 46% unemployed and Education had 53% employed and 47% unemployed.
Despite NSM having a low job finding rate right after college, they have higher salary rate then some of the other colleges, the average salary for undergrad and graduate measuring out to about the same. Education also had a similar result with its bachelors and masters averaging out to the same amount. Based on research it showed that those who graduate from the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences have a low salary with a bachelors but has a increase of five times more with a masters or higher, the program having the biggest gap among the five. The College of Social Work and the Hilton college had similar numbers with their graduates and undergraduates. Social Work having 48,000 with undergraduate and 49,000 with graduate. The Hilton had 39,000 for undergraduate and 42,000 for graduate.
While this does not take in account for every school or major in the University of Houston, it does count for a good chunk of it, giving students who go here a glimpse at what their major could possibly bring them.
With graduation being right around the corner it is almost impossible to change your major, but Jackeline and Joelle had a take on that. Jackeline said that if she could, she would change her major, feeling that Digital media at her school was not teaching her everything she wanted to know and that the program changed too much for her liking.
“I feel like I would have done better changing either the COMM school or the Art school were they are more focused on not only teaching you how to use the programs but also like how to create the content.”
While Joelle felt the opposite. From her experience she felt that she learned a lot in her major, she loved her professors, and got a better grasp on her creative writing skills.
There is much to think about there are plenty of students who have mixed feelings about graduation, some good, some bad, but overall excited. With the University of Houston being a top tier school there a multiple opportunities around for future graduates.
“I’m excited to see where I go in the future with a bachelor’s degree. ”
Joelle said when asked how she felt about being done.
“I hope my parents will be proud of me for graduating in less than the allotted time for a four year undergrad program.”
