I was going to write a sappy farewell column about the people I’ll miss, the events and things that I’ll eventually revisit and how I’ll remember LSU. But honestly, writing a glorified diary entry would be as painful to write as it would be for anyone to read.
I figured I’d just write on what I’m thinking about now, as the days get closer and closer to graduation.
Some of my graduating friends have been trying to find work over the past few weeks. I even have a friend who graduated last fall who for months and worked at a Wendy’s restaurant because he couldn’t find a job that fit his major. And judging from other friends’ comments stemming from their uncertainty, looking for jobs seems like a hard thing to do.
I’ve reasoned that higher education puts us in a really comfortable position that sometimes is hard to leave.
Sometimes it feels hard for involved students to juggle a ton of responsibilities, ranging from full-time class schedules, jobs that take up huge chunks of hours and other extracurriculars, but nothing seems as stressful right now as a graduating senior who is actively pursuing a career.
At some point while we’re in school, we’re all told that it’s hard for college graduates to find jobs in Louisiana.
I’m a member of Leadership LSU, and for almost each week this semester, we have looked at all the issues Louisiana’s leaders are facing, including the state’s economy, healthcare systems, arts and other essential aspects.
As the selected top 25 leaders graduating from the University, we’re encouraged to stay in Louisiana or at least come back at some point – and a lot of us are still scrapping to find jobs.
Honestly, law school is something I’ve always wanted to do, but I never was really sure when.
One of the things I’ve been told to do is to wait a few years before going to law school. But I know a lot of people who were held back by previously unforeseen restrictions that kept them from going back. It also seemed easier for me to jump from one school setting to another.
When older people say college is the most enjoyable years of your life, I’m starting to believe it. It’s that safe, insulated setting that separates you from the demands of the real world – bills, maintaining a job to support yourself and other stresses that are avoidable with the help of loans and understanding parents.
The multiple-year commitment that Teach for America requires works for some of us, while grad school works for others like myself – I’ll be attending law school in the fall.
I’m looking forward to that and the summer, when I may or may not spend my time working somewhere.
But I’ll be back because in this short time, things could change completely from the way I remembered them.
Four years ago the biggest issue on this campus was the uproar caused by Tiger Bar’s dress code policies, where there was no collective response from University students.
Now, the campus can’t be looked at as apathetic. It seems like there’s a protest every other day on this campus.
Of course I’ll miss the Daily Reveille newsroom, where I learned about journalism for the past seven semesters. I’d like to thank my parents for supporting me, my professors who served as mentors and other friends who helped me while I was here.
Okay, so it got a little sappy.
Goodbye Daily Reveille. Goodbye LSU.
 
Walter is a print journalism senior.
Contact him at [email protected]