<p>I’ve hesitated to contribute because I generally like to stay out of debate-like topics, but I’d like to step in and say a few things.</p>
<p>Intparent - I do not think that you’re being overwhelmingly negative by any means. As a school we should be constantly striving to be better, so criticism is necessary and I think it prompts meaningful discussion. There are a few things you’ve said that I agree with - like the fact that the College still has a lot of room for improvement - but there are also quite a few things you’ve said that I strongly disagree with because I don’t think they’re true, and I think some of your assertions are based on anecdotal evidence or speculation rather than fact.</p>
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<p>I absolutely disagree that it’s unrealistic to get a meaningful internship over six weeks. Out of curiosity, what are you basing this assumption on? Honestly, as a student for whom finances are a concern, my freshman year I did take the time to work, but I didn’t even bother looking for internships because I knew I needed a full-time job, and I actually had quite a few job options since no other college students were home for the first part of the Christmas rush. That said, I managed to land a great internship last winter break (sophomore year) - I don’t want to say exactly what it was because I don’t want to give away too much about my identity on the message board, but PM me and I can tell you. This winter I also have a pretty phenomenal internship (again, PM me if you’re curious).</p>
<p>How did I get the first one? Mother of a Carleton friend of mine knew of the position and told my friend, who told me; I applied and got it. This year I called the place I was interested in and explained that I would be off, and asked if there were possible internship opportunities. Lo and behold, they found a research position for me. Throughout both breaks, I also worked evenings and weekends to make money, meaning I’ve been extremely busy, but it’s been worth it. Quite a few close friends of mine are also completing meaningful internships; one friend who visited me recently described his internship as “pretty much [his] dream job.” The career center also has a great externship program over break that allows students to get detailed career experience and knowledge, and I was going to apply for several of those if I didn’t get my current internship. I’ll admit that on paper, the six-week break looks challenging, but I actually really like it, and I don’t think it’s necessarily difficult to find meaningful work.</p>
<p>Just thought I’d throw this out as well - I have a lot of friends who have taken a term off to work as well. On paper, it seems like it would be really difficult to take a random ten weeks off in the winter and find a great job, but I know a number of students who have done just that. If you study abroad in the summer, you are required to take another term off; my friends who did that last year ended up working at places like the Federal Reserve and the National Institute of Health. It’s odd, but definitely not impossible to find a solid job for just one term.</p>
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<p>The second part is very true: it is really hard to study abroad or off-campus during a semester other than fall, and that is one of the weaknesses of the trimester/quarter system. I know students who have done it, but before doing so, it’s necessary to make sure that you’re either ahead or very on top of your studies. If you’re on top of things, it’s very possible to take two terms off and still be on track to graduate and finish all requirements fairly easily. However, it is definitely an inconvenience to have to do so, although I think most students are happy with the off-campus study options here.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I completely disagree with the first assertion that you made - that the late dismissal of the trimester system is an impediment to finding meaningful summer work. In previous summers I’ve had friends apply to programs with supposedly “fixed” start dates (i.e. the Amgen scholars), but the programs have been flexible to accomodate the students. Several programs I’m applying for this summer also said that they had fixed start dates the week before we got out, but when I called all three places, all said it wasn’t a problem because they’ve had great students from Carleton, so if got in they’d be perfectly happy to accommodate my schedule (one of these is the Amgen program; PM me if you want to know where else I am looking).</p>
<p>On the occasion that you do get a job with a non-flexible start date, the college can also be surprisingly accommodating. I have a friend last year who got a summer research position that began May 27th, a full two weeks before we got out. She approached her professors and they figured out ways for her to finish the course early; she was able to come back to campus for one final and took the other one early. A few weeks ago, I was talking to my advisor about summer jobs, and while I expressed similar worries, her response was that I should absolutely apply anyway, because there is almost always a way around that - in other words, either the college or the employer will be flexible.</p>
<p>Good Lord this is a long post. I’ll wrap it up by saying that I do think that jack63, intparent, and youdon’tsay make some very good points. The Strategic plan is a great starting point, but Carleton does still need to work on improving job prospects/opportunities available to students. Part of this goes along with increasing Carleton’s national reputation, and part with creating liaisons with more companies, and enticing more companies to recruit here. That is absolutely something that the College needs to work on, particularly attracting companies that recruit outside of the Milwaukee/Twin Cities/Chicago areas. Youdon’tsay, I absolutely agree with what you’re saying. But some of the assumptions here are either incorrect or based on purely anecdotal evidence. I don’t think it’s fair to say that just because you know some Carleton students who have trouble finding jobs, the college must be significantly behind most others. At home, I know two Cornell grads who are jobless and another Cornell grad who just landed his first job – two years after graduation, and after two years of intensive job-hunting. I know a Williams grad who is having trouble finding employment. My friend’s brother just graduated from UChicago last year after majoring in economics – still no job offers; living at home. My best friend’s father was a successful businessman for years with an MBA from a top program, and he’s currently – you guessed it – having trouble finding work. </p>
<p>On the contrary, I know quite a few Carleton grads who are employed in meaningful fields this year, in jobs that they got either through Carleton alumni connections or through their own research. My anecdotes aren’t any more meaningful than yours; they’re just that – anecdotes, not facts. But I think it’s a much more complicated issue than can be summed up by “I know some Carleton grads who are having trouble finding jobs, so the college is behind.” Carleton undoubtedly needs to improve its recruiting profile, but it definitely isn’t miles behind all other LACs, and in this economy the college has certainly been making efforts to step up its game.</p>