Students choose school over job market in sinking economy
Andrea Myers
Issue date: 1/26/09 Section: News
During his four-and-a-half-year journey through college, he wrote for The Arkansas Traveler for one year before he became the managing editor for another year. He then spent five months selling advertising for the same paper after his time had ended on the editorial side. He spent his summer vacations working as a courier in law offices in Little Rock and Fayetteville. And his grade point average was unlikely to drop below a healthy 3.5 his last semester of earning a bachelor's degree in news/editorial journalism.
Gentry Lassiter, who graduated in December as a fifth-year senior, has a resume many students wish was their own. But with the economy in such a lull and a competitive market of new graduates, Lassiter isn't sure his educational and job experience will be enough to land the perfect job, or even a good one.
"It's tough to get a job," Lassiter said. He currently is attending DePaul University in Chicago to earn a master's degree in public relations "to make connections and hopefully land an internship."
Although the downward spiral of the economy wasn't Lassiter's ultimate deciding factor in attending graduate school, Lassiter admits that during these competitive times, he needs to make himself more marketable. Lassiter said he read on the CNN Money Web site about students going to graduate school to avoid finding a job, but he doesn't think that's the best way to handle the situation.
Lassiter isn't going to graduate school simply to avoid the economy. "Accumulating debt isn't the best approach," he said. "Things probably won't be changed in just a couple years."
However, recent economic problems are leading many students to stay in school longer, according to The State Hornet, the California State University newspaper.
"Many students are realizing that if they graduate right now, there are no jobs," said Edidiong Uwan, co-adviser of Green Sting with Student Life and Services at CSU, according to the State Hornet story "Economic crisis affects students." "More people are applying for graduate school because of it."
Gentry Lassiter, who graduated in December as a fifth-year senior, has a resume many students wish was their own. But with the economy in such a lull and a competitive market of new graduates, Lassiter isn't sure his educational and job experience will be enough to land the perfect job, or even a good one.
"It's tough to get a job," Lassiter said. He currently is attending DePaul University in Chicago to earn a master's degree in public relations "to make connections and hopefully land an internship."
Although the downward spiral of the economy wasn't Lassiter's ultimate deciding factor in attending graduate school, Lassiter admits that during these competitive times, he needs to make himself more marketable. Lassiter said he read on the CNN Money Web site about students going to graduate school to avoid finding a job, but he doesn't think that's the best way to handle the situation.
Lassiter isn't going to graduate school simply to avoid the economy. "Accumulating debt isn't the best approach," he said. "Things probably won't be changed in just a couple years."
However, recent economic problems are leading many students to stay in school longer, according to The State Hornet, the California State University newspaper.
"Many students are realizing that if they graduate right now, there are no jobs," said Edidiong Uwan, co-adviser of Green Sting with Student Life and Services at CSU, according to the State Hornet story "Economic crisis affects students." "More people are applying for graduate school because of it."
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