Little fish in a big pond

 

By Abbi Mitchell-Morley, Xyryl Amor & Elaine Liu

 

 

As the end of the semester approaches and 2016’s graduating classes prepare to embark on brand new chapters of their lives, we take a moment to sit and speak to a handful of those on the cusp of this milestone. Filled with aspirations and anxieties, they reflect on university experiences, personal growth, and hopes for the future.

 

“This is the beginning of your journey, not the end,” said Barry Salzberg, the CEO of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, who spoke to graduates at George Washington University’s School of Business. In this year, many graduates are turning into job seekers. Many have aspirations of becoming the breakout star in a particular industry. Yet, there is a fear residing in each one of us when it comes to foreseeing our future.

 

When asked about their future, one Year 4 Communication student of University of Macau (UM) John who prefers not to give his last name expressed his concerns. “My fear is not knowing what lies ahead. I’m afraid I might not get a job that I will like,” he says. International students like John wish to find a job in the city. However, chances are grim for John as he does not hold a citizenship in the region. “Life is getting real soon and I will be paying my own bills and supporting my family,” he continued.

 

Claire Alexis May Jurado, a senior Architecture student at the University of Saint Joseph (USJ), fears she will be “stuck in a full-time job” she does not enjoy; the typical 9 to 5, equipped with a good salary. “The worst fear would be that I’m comfortable with it [job] and don’t want to find anything else, and just settle,” she expresses. Both of John and Claire’s concerns are not uncommon.

 

Graduation is often seen as the end of an era, and in a sense this is true. As Political Science major Krystle Mitchell-Morley thinks back on her time at USJ she recalls it as bittersweet more than anything. “I didn’t really know what I was entering into. You know how at the beginning you’re like ‘Oh I have four years, I don’t really have to think about the future’ and you keep saying that until senior year. Then you’re suddenly stepping right up to the cliff, and you haven’t even thought about the jump,” she says, also expressing how her motivation has dipped over the course of her studies. “I told myself at the beginning of this year that this is it, this is my last year to make a difference. But I’m not taking this last chance by the balls and doing anything about it. That makes me sad.” When asked what her one wish for the future is she beams “happiness”.

 

For every graduate the period from March to May is a time of recollection. For senior Finance student Elena Sun, she feels grateful for her college life. “I used to think UM was not a good school, and it should be easy to get good grades, it proved that I was wrong. My adaptability was worse than others,” she remembers. Now, she has adapted to college life and she is able to thrive through “making friends with brilliant people”.

 

From every experience stems a story of a personal growth. This is evident in UM’s Finance student Peter Shao who believes university has played a key role in his becoming the person he is today. “I always wonder how life has changed ever since I attended university. The new environment I have lived in for four years and all the experiences I have been through have profoundly shaped my identity, in a good way. I’ve become more educated and developed different perspectives to look at everyday life.” Though he recalls his time at UM as more or less happy, he can’t help but express one regret, “Looking back and thinking about the time I have spent there, I wish I had learned more skills.”

 

In a final moment with Mitchell-Morley, she shares some wisdom, “Don’t stop learning, and being willing to learn. The day you say ‘no’ to a lesson is the day you turn away an opportunity to grow.” University is considered one of the final steps in our education, anything beyond a bachelor’s degree is embellishment, and as we may be exiting the classrooms of our tertiary education we enter into a world full of lessons waiting to happen.