Seniors: The End is Near

As the end of April comes closer, graduation is looming over May and December graduates.

The never-ending questions from family and friends begin months before; "What are your plans? What are you going to do? Where are you going to live?" And sometimes, you probably want to yell at them.

The thought of being out of school for the first time ever (for many people), is really daunting and very stressful.

To give you some hope, three Music Business and Industry majors, graduating May 13, were asked what they will be doing after graduation.

"I will be attending graduate school at Northeastern University in Boston. I will be getting my Master's Degree in Music Industry Leadership. I won't have trouble getting a job after that," replied Dave Daly.

Stephen Boucher said, "I am going home to start a recording studio in the basement of my apartment. It should rule quite hard. For a day job, I will be returning to carpentry. The studio is with Ethan [Kascenska] and it's called Holy Cow Studio in Gloucester MA. "

"I have had the privilege of working and touring on and off with a band from Boston, MA as their merchandiser for the past year and I hope to continue to work with them as much as possible. I have also been working on an internship with another artist who has kept me busy on the business end of things and will lead to me being out on the road with them as well," said Aaron Gingras of his future. Aaron also plans on moving to Massachusetts later next year.

To deal with the stress and anxiety of graduation, here are a few tips and tricks for stress relief:

•            Go for a run/walk

•            Mosh in your room to some metal

•            Drink chamomile tea, but be careful. It's a stress reliever, but it will also make you very tired.

•            Watch a funny movie. Laughing makes you feel better.

•            Eat some dark chocolate

Of course you can do anything else that makes you feel better as well. Anything that can distract you for a few minutes will help lower your stress levels.

Leaving school is a big step, and finding a job after graduating is an even bigger step. It can be hard and sometimes very discouraging, but keep the faith. Sometimes it just takes a little while to get that call back that will change everything.

Finding a job, especially for a bunch of recent graduates who have little "real world experience" in a bad, jobless economy, can be frustrating. The never ending sending of resumes and cover letters and then not even getting any confirmation back for months, really starts to get on one's nerves.

As you're searching and searching for someone who will hire you, just remember; sometimes it takes a while. It can take 6 months, a year even, to find a real, good paying job that's in a place that you want to live in. Discouragement comes with the territory, but don't let it get you down.

These are your last few weeks of school; just have some fun, be responsible, get through finals, and then burn your papers.