Opinion by Renee Yaseen | For better and for worse, many recent graduates are seeking community in familiar spaces: college towns.
,” proposes that cities should be designed more like college campuses: walkable, with community fixtures such as libraries and public spaces for art, music, dancing and conversation. Like many in Gen Z, Anees yearns for “closeness” — and argues that more places should try to build in settings for social interactions and community the way campuses do.I was one of those people who got a job at my university after graduation .
But after graduation, it can be both a blessing and a curse to stay in the academic environment you spent the previous four years in. For me, working at my university after graduation had some incredible benefits. I took advantage of the opportunity to take or audit courses as an employee; I loved the way that the academic environment fostered continued learning and intellectual engagement. People in the office lent me books, and my co-worker and I would discuss our research projects over coffee.But working life proved different from student life in some disappointing ways.
And it can be crushing when universities don’t live up to expectations after graduation. I’ve spoken with other grads who worked at their alma mater, received an advanced degree or both. Many who worked at a university after graduation reported disillusionment. One graduate, who started graduate studies and was employed at her alma mater, told me that working at her university had “left a bad taste” in her mouth.
Regardless of whether you throw your graduation cap toward campus or as far away from it as possible, keeping realistic expectations about the transition from school to working life is key. College towns can be uniquely great places to connect with same-aged peers and enjoy cultural and social amenities — but college is over, and that’s okay.
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