Career Paths
Can’t find a job? You’re not alone
As a senior in college still figuring out my post-graduation plans, I am far too familiar with the dreaded question, “What are you doing next year?” In an effort to defend my “I don’t know” reply in the face of judgmental adults, I have done extensive research to defend the claim that the job hunt…
Read MoreEntry-level jobs don’t exist anymore
If you’re frantically scrolling through LinkedIn, Handshake or Indeed looking for jobs and internships like me, you probably noticed that the standard for entry-level positions has risen exponentially. The idea of entry-level jobs is practically disappearing before our eyes. For many college students and recent graduates, the search for post-graduate jobs seems almost impossible. Since 2017, 35%…
Read MoreThis STEMs from insecurity
Growing Into Myself At the ripe old age of 10, my dad and I ran into one of his gym friends when I was getting picked up from a late night swim practice. I don’t remember much from that interaction, but what I do remember sort of changed my life. The friend was extraordinarily tall,…
Read MoreThe creator economy can hurt users
As spring break Instagram posts rolled out, images of my classmates in picture-perfect tropical scenes bombarded me while I returned to the bleak surroundings of central Pennsylvania. As the week continued, I found myself checking Instagram every 15 minutes, growing more and more bitter. I was filled with an urge to post something, anything, to…
Read MoreThe case against following your passion
It’s concentration declaration season for AB sophomores and BSE freshmen and the same old questions are bubbling to the surface: Do I really have what it takes to become a math major? Should I pursue classics or comparative literature? Then there’s the most familiar question: Should I choose the more “practical” major that may land…
Read MoreStudents should be picky about their jobs
Despite being responsible for a one-star review at my workplace that states “the little redhead behind the counter is rude,” I am a very good employee. I promise. The cruel reality about customer service jobs is that no matter how good you are at your job, there will always be a handful of customers that…
Read MoreBeing extraordinary is overrated
Ever since things have gone back to almost-but-not-quite normal, I’ve had this overwhelming feeling that I’m not doing enough. It’s almost become a mantra in my head, the words repeating over and over, “You’re not doing enough.” I’ve mentioned the feeling to friends and classmates, and the majority of them have related — each and…
Read MoreThe Myth of Passion
These days, it seems like the resume obsession is real. Everyone is scrambling for jobs, internships, shadowing, clubs, research positions and whatever else the pre-corporate world has to offer. It seems like any use of our time is only as valuable as the number of professional buzzwords we can squeeze out of it. The landscape…
Read MoreSafe, structured lives
Over the summer, did you consider taking a gap semester? Possibly a whole year? If so, you were definitely not alone. At both Harvard and Yale, roughly 20 percent of incoming first-year students deferred. Similarly, I opted for a leave of absence, delaying my senior year to the fall of 2022. Despite how frequently the notion of a…
Read MoreSearching for my reasons
More times than I can recall, I’ve started a class eager to learn about some fascinating topic. But as the semester progresses and piles on exams and homework, the course grows less and less interesting. The desire to perform well in the course starts to replace my original curiosity, until I’m not sure why I…
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