Homeward Bound-Graduate Edition

by C. Alex Biersch

Thousands of dollars spent, countless sleepless hours and stress beyond belief, all to accomplish and benefit from getting that ever so coveted degree and to…move back home?

According to a study done by Accenture examining the employment rates of college students who graduated after the 2012-2013 school year, only 16 percent of graduates came out of college with a full-time job that used the skills they learned from their respective majors.

With so many graduates unable to find full-time employment that uses the knowledge they went to college for, many of them find themselves crawling back to their hometowns and residing with loved ones in order to save money to move out and eventually find a jobs that will enable them to live on their own.

Ashley Guidace, a senior communication studies major, graduates in May and is already nervous of what is to come after she gets her degree.

“I think that in this day, parents now accept the fact that the job market is completely different than what it was when they were looking for jobs,” Guidace said. “And that if living with them for a year will help me get me in a good place financially and employment wise, they are more willing to do that.”

Although it is not ideal to move home, you will be able to live rent-free. While some people have parents paying for their education, many students are building up student loan debt as the months go by. Living at home allows students to work towards paying off those debts before they move out and are financially independent.

Nicole Daily, a senior English major, was able to pay for college through financial aid and student loans.

“My parents always told me that I would have to get myself through college, not because they could not afford it, but because it helped me grow up a lot,” Daily said. “Moving home will help me keep my retail job while I try to find a career and still be able to pay off the loans that I have taken in order to attend Chapman.”

Many college graduates are also finding themselves stuck in the unpaid internship stage of job availability. Therefore, after graduating, if they do not get offered a position at the company they are interning for, they either continue interning or take chances to find a paying job.

Alexa Moss, senior public relations and advertising major, graduates in May and is currently an intern for a company in Orange County, however she does not know if they will offer her a position after she graduates.

“The company knows that I graduate soon, so I am hoping that they will consider bringing me on the team for employment due to how long I have been with them.” Moss said.

Graduates are also finding jobs close to home, making it more convenient to stay at their parents’ house while also saving money, not having to pay for their own living expenses.

Danny Kuntz, a recent graduate from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, Calif., moved home immediately after he graduated and found an entry-level paying job a few short miles away from his parents’ house.

“Although it was not my plan to stay here over a year, once I found this job, it didn’t make sense for me to move out and spend money on rent and utilities when I could just stay here,” Kuntz said.

After all that hard work and finally getting that degree, it is obvious that moving home with your parents is not the ideal situation. However, moving back home comes with several advantages, particularly to you, the student. So if you graduate and are confused on the next step to take, just call home. 

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