Don’t Underestimate The Power Of A Small School

Recently, I experienced by first official “Family Weekend” here at Scripps.  While I was excited to see my family, I didn’t think much about the various scheduled different events Scripps had planned. All I knew was that I would be forced to accompany my family to these events and fulfill the role as their own personal tour guide.  What I would have never predicted, though, was how much I would learn about  my Scripps education and the beauty of the liberal arts.

It all started with our president, Lori Bettison-Varga, who gave a speech Saturday morning in Garrison Theater. Prior to entering Garrison, I was expected to hear a typical speech about what is going on within the Scripps community, the news, and any major recent accomplishments.  I wasn’t wrong. I received information from Bettison-Varga that I had anticipated hearing. It was the question and answer session, though, that caught my attention.

So far from my experience at Scripps, I have come to admire the transparency between the administration and the students. When the U.S. News and World Report ranking for Scripps College dropped from the 23rd best liberal arts college to the 29th, Bettison-Varga wrote an email that addressed the overwhelming concern of what this would mean for our school. With that being said, I still began to feel uncomfortable and rather squeamish when parents started asking questions. I felt as if secrets were about to be unleashed that would cause me to be upset with Scripps.

For lack of better words, Bettison-Varga was getting “grilled” with questions that revolved around endowment, increasing tuition, the housing crunch, and what originally worried me the most: the career related questions.

While my parents completely supported my decision in choosing Scirpps, they have always been worried about my ability to find a job after graduation coming from a small liberal arts school that, unfortunately, seems to be rarely known.  They believe that if I had gone to a bigger, more well known university, it would alleviate some of the after graduation stress.

I can’t say I necessarily disagree with them. Scripps only has around 7,500 alumnae, and with this low number comes a lack of resources needed to make easy connections. But it wasn’t until this weekend that I completely shifted my mindset about the value and benefits of graduating from a small women’s college can have when applying for competitive internships and/or jobs.

In the audience, one parent asked Bettison-Varga how many seniors have secured jobs at graduation. While I don’t remember this statistic, I do remember having a flash forward to me at graduation with a diploma in hand, but zero job offers. This seems terrifying, but what Bettison-Varga ensured the crowd was that every Scripps woman has the skills to effectively find and have a job, I began to think realistically.  Our liberal arts education has unconsciously made us great writers, have amazing public speaking skills, and be passionate about anything we are committed to. What is not to love about that?

Similarly, I didn’t  know that I would be so moved and blown away by the CP&R hosted panel that was held this past weekend. Not only were the panelist so incredibly articulate when speaking on behalf of their career goals, but I was inspired by each and every one of their stories. Once again, though, I found myself feeling uncomfortable when parents began shooting questions at both the panelists and Vicki Klopsch, the Director of CP&R.

One parent asked the panelists if they had found that when interviewing for internships, did the specific name of their school, Scripps College, have any impact on them being hired? The panelists didn’t lie. None of them answered the question by saying that the reputation of Scripps is what helped them land the internship, but the more interesting answer is that indirectly it did.

From everyone who goes to Scripps and works here, we all know it is a unique, one of a kind place that is impossible to replicate anywhere. It’s a women’s college. How many women’s colleges can you think of in the country? Only a handful. Now if that doesn’t make a statement, I don’t know what else does.

As silly as it may sound, I had never thought of the benefits of attending a women’s college from the perspective of a future employer. I had internally recognized how attending a women’s college would benefit me, but I am now beginning to fully understand how beneficial and valuable my skills, that I am learning at Scripps, will be in the outside world.

I also began to internalize more reasons behind why the size of my school will NOT deter me from finding, applying, and being accepted to any internship/job I plan on applying to in the future. It will force me to work harder and be driven in ways that I may not necessarily have been before if I believed that I could rely on the reputation of my school. I am thankful for that and for the panelists that ensured me that nothing was stopping them from doing what they want in life.

While it is true that I might not be able to rely on the name of my college to get me a job (cough, “Insert Ivy League School Name Here” ), what I am positive that I will be able to rely on is the skills, leadership, and everything else I have learned here at Scripps. Everything will be transferable. Take that, large universities.

“I’m Too Young For An Internship”

As second semester is finally in full swing, Scripps students are courageously looking forward to their summer vacation. Although summer vacation is more than three months filled with the company of family, friends, delicious barbecues, and beautiful weather there is anxiety attached with summer months and leaves students asking a commonly heard question: should I get an internship?

While it is true that I am rather new to finding internships, I’ve recently heard about the ambitious nature of internships with regards to first years.  From the perspective of a first year, the word internship is extremely intimidating.  It is already enough to have to worry about making and maintaining friends and not failing classes, but to search for an internship seems like a rather ambitious task. But hear me out freshman (or anyone who is afraid to apply for one) as I explain my rationale as to why we shouldn’t be afraid to try and why we are all extremely qualified.

Up until a week ago, I didn’t believe I was worthy or qualified enough to apply for an internship. I would have only had one year of college, and besides I’m not even positive as to what I want to major in. Who wants to hire an intern who isn’t even sure what they want to do with their life? But as I thought more about it, my “internship mentality” completely changed.

First off, having a year of college under your belt is in fact a huge accomplishment. While it is true that the Claremont Colleges are known for their high retention rates and being home to some of the happiest students in the nation, college drop out rates are unfortunately always rather high. Therefore, I finally have realized that for me to doubt the significance of a year of college was silly and was only stoping me from accomplishing my ambitions.

In addition, even though I am a first year, I have already accomplished more than I could have ever imagined for my first semester. I am on the club field hockey team, volunteer for the Admissions office, and (as of a week ago) I am now officially on the Claremont Colleges Ballroom Dance Team.  And on top of being active in the Claremont community, my grades were above average. I’m sure everyone of you reading this has been just as involved or even more involved than I have. College, especially at first, can be a scary place and every Scripps woman need to pay tribute to her accomplishments and triumphs.

So even though you may have already convinced yourself you won’t be applying for an internship this summer because you believe “you are too young”, please don’t let that be your excuse. Yes, it is true some internships are for rising juniors and seniors, but there are a plethora of other opportunities.  The longer I’ve been at Scripps, the more I feel a desire to be intellectually challenged. I finally feel I’m up for the challenge in finding and applying to internships. As cliche as it may sound, “you never know until you try,” and my challenge for you is to at least apply to while the opportunity still presents itself.  What are you waiting for?

Career Pressures Of A First Year

While it is true that I love Christmas, there is something I dread about the holiday season: the plethora of “life” questions from family members. Of course I enjoy catching up with family members, but I constantly feel the pressure to impress them with my aspirations. Specifically during Christmas brunch, my uncle asked me what I wanted to major in. When I responded with “psychology,” he chuckled saying that his children said the same thing when they didn’t know what they wanted to major in and that he was thankful they  ultimately majored in business and pre-dental.  It is true that I am not 100% certain what my major will be,  but I was still offended. Why wasn’t psychology an acceptable answer?

As I pondered this question, I began to become more aware of what I like to call “career pressures.”  To my uncle, majoring in psychology was not completely acceptable, but majoring in something such as “business” was.  My interpretation of my uncle’s mindset stems from the widely accepted truth that jobs within the realm of the business world are rather conventional.  While I have nothing against business oriented majors, it appears to be a very cut-and-dry profession.  In terms of my uncle, though, and many others, this is the appeal of working in this type of industry.

This recognition of my uncle’s mindset lead me to ask myself even more questions. Is it no longer enough to pick a major that truly interests you? Or does your major selection need to encompass the pressures of society and those who have played a significant role in your development?  I am a still a firm believer of listening to your own heart, but I do agree that it is rather difficult not to get caught up in the career hype.

It is a hype centered around career pathways that are thought to guarantee success in terms of money. From my one semester in college, there is rarely a day that goes by where I do not hear the word “pre” with regards to pre-health, pre-law, pre-buisness, or any other “pre” combination you can think of.  Originally, these predetermined tracks did not effect me, but the more I started hearing first years confidently speak about the specific steps to their perceptions of “guaranteed success”, I couldn’t help but panic and doubt myself. I felt as if no one had warned me about the sudden pressures that come with selecting a major and that I would be subjected to these pressures from both family members and peers. I now consider myself officially conflicted and I am not afraid to admit that.

Although there are times I am tempted to major in something that is thought to guarantee success, socially accepted, will make my parents proud, and will generate an approved nod during family gatherings, there is a reason that I am at such a unique place like Scripps. I’m not here to follow the status quo or to base my life decisions off what anyone else is doing. Instead, in the wise words of Ellen Browning Scripps, I’m here to “live courageously” and that’s exactly what I plan on doing.

The Last Word

Editor’s note: Katie wrote this before she left Scripps for the summer, but it seems relevant to post now as summer begins. We miss you, Scripps students!

If you’re reading this after May 14, I have already left Scripps College! I’ll go back to school in the fall, of course, but in Germany—it’s strange to think that I won’t come back to California for over a year. I’ll miss all my favorite Village restaurants, the abundance of adorable dogs on campus, not to mention my friends, but seeing Europe, finally, is a whole other adventure.

Although I, like all college students in May, have been a slave to my finals, I also made sure to take the time to finalize my summer plans. After a semester of calling, waiting, e-mailing, and more calling, I finally have the semi-internship I coveted at my hometown’s annual professional golf tournament. The directors of the tournament were gracious enough to allow me to work with them. It took a semester, and there were times when I thought my efforts would end up completely fruitless, but in the end, it worked out. I’ll be quite busy this summer, but I’m also excited—I’ve taken classes, learned how to drive, and done extensive volunteer work, but I still don’t feel confident about my “job” experience.

The tournament will end after the first two weeks of June, but in a turn of events (for me) I have something else lined up. A few weeks ago, I saw an advertisement for a news blog which was seeking interns to write and, potentially, to translate Korean-language articles. I knew my Korean probably wasn’t good enough to do extensive translating, but I decided to give the application a shot—the worst thing that could happen was being told “no”. I sent in my application, and after a week with no response it left my mind. Surprise, surprise—they accepted me! It turns out that I have multiple opportunities lined up for this summer. In January, I assumed I’d be doing nothing by the time I moved out. On paper, I have more on my plate this summer than ever before.

I contribute almost all of my success this semester to writing this blog. Keeping in constant contact with Career Planning & Resources has not only forced me to keep up on my career search, but motivated me to do it for my own well-being. Keeping the World Wide Web updated on my search meant that I needed to keep looking. So, here’s my last advice to anyone looking for jobs or internships: No matter what it is, find a way to keep yourself on track. Keep up a blog, like me, write e-mails to your friends keeping them updated, or even keep a private search diary. If you hold yourself accountable for getting the job done, it will happen.

My other piece of advice is this: Don’t ever, ever give up. I’m a pessimist, and when things go sour, it’s far too easy for me to get down on myself. This company doesn’t want me. If I keep calling, they’ll think I’m a nuisance. If I talk to this person, they’ll think I’m crazy and creepy. Anyone who puts out their information (or, even better, comes to your school in person) is interested in what you can bring to their company. This is something I still have to remind myself. Keep in touch, believe in yourself, and don’t give up.

-Katie

Finding Motivation

It might surprise you that I, as a writer of this blog, have often found trouble motivating myself to look for jobs and internships, or to apply for summer programs. When I’m working on homework or watching a baseball game, I’ll suddenly remember that there’s something I should be doing for my search…and a lot of the time, I put it off. A few minutes later, when I realize that I’m procrastinating, I ask myself, why? What’s keeping me from putting my all into the process? Do I have some subconscious hatred for internships?

The answer, when I think about it, is somewhat complicated. There are a few reasons, I think, that I oftentimes push looking for internships and campus jobs aside in favor of homework and relaxation.

The first is obvious: doing homework and watching TV are much more satisfying. They have clear end results—every time you fill out an application, you don’t know if anything will come of it! Also, because I’m not eligible for need-based financial aid, finding a job on campus was a difficult, ongoing, and draining process. Some jobs are withheld for work study students (and rightfully so), and many others don’t pop up for weeks or months after the semester’s started. The only thing you can do in the job search is to keep looking, and it’s much easier said than done. There are only so many times you can check The Gateway and walk away disappointed before it begins to take a toll on your self-esteem.

As for internships, a lot of my lack of motivation stemmed from the way I perceived them. Here’s how I thought about internships for several years:  They’re something you have to do in order to get a real job down the road. Most of the internships advertised when I was visiting colleges were with businesses, law firms, or government buildings, which, naturally, didn’t appeal to me in the slightest. And it was something I had to juggle along with schoolwork?! The mere thought of it stressed me out. I felt pressured to get an internship, not because I wanted one, but because I felt I needed one to succeed.

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