The Countdown Begins

With only four weeks left, the annual countdown to graduation has officially begun.  In the 17 years that I have been teaching at Stevens, one thing has remained unchanged and that's the nervous energy found in the machine shop during the last few weeks of class.  Some of the students are focused on completing projects, some are worried about where they're going to work, and there is always a few that are wondering if they're going to graduate.   It is, to say the least, a challenging time for all of us.

At this point, most of the students know where they are going to work after graduation.  A handful are trying to make the decision between one or more options.  For the undecided, it's about the location of the job, how much does this company pay vs. that company, and what type of work does each company do.  Everyone who has gone through this knows the stress connected to making all the decisions that the next few weeks demand.  As I like to remind everyone, "the real world is waiting for you out there" and the reality of that statement is a little intimidating.  I don't care how tough my students want to pretend they are, it's scary when this chapter comes to an end. 

I like to think that I have helped prepare them for at least one part of their adult lives.  Of all the challenges life will throw at this years graduates, employment now and in the future will not be one of them.   They may not have a perfect job or the highest paying job but they'll have a good job.  They may get married and have kids of their own and they will never have worry about taking care of the ones they love.  Having a good job does not guarantee a happy life but it sure does help.  As grumpy and mean as I get during this time of year, I always remember these facts and it helps to keep things in perspective.