“We see it when we talk to students, because there is so much emotion with what comes next,” said Denisa Metko, Director of the Center for Career and Life Planning (CCLP). She added, “You move from being primarily a student, with this being your primary job, to ‘now what?’”
With less than a month until commencement, many seniors have a lot to juggle, between finishing the semester strong and planning for life after college. To better understand the mindset of graduating seniors, from April 9-12, 2026, The Sandspur conducted a poll among seniors to learn what their plans are for after graduation, as well as how they feel about leaving college. We received a total of 19 responses. The lower number of responses than our past polls may suggest that many seniors are preoccupied as they wrap up their final semester.
When asked about plans for after graduation, about 53 percent of respondents answered “Grad School,” just over 63 percent said “Working,” about 21 percent said “Fellowship,” and a little over 5 percent each answered “Get a job as quick as possible to get an apartment” and “Other.”
When asked about their plans for housing after college, nearly 74 percent said that they plan to find either their own place or a place with roommates, and a little over 26 percent said that they plan to move back home.
When asked if they were excited to graduate college, a little over 47 percent of respondents each said “Yes” or “Not sure/mixed feelings,” while a little over 5 percent said “No.”
When asked how they feel about entering the job market, around 47 percent said they are optimistic, around 42 percent said they’re not sure or have mixed feelings, and about 11 percent said they are pessimistic.
At the end of the poll, respondents had the opportunity to share anything they’ve learned through planning for life after college that they wish they had learned earlier. Some stated skills that they wish they’d known, including how to better manage money and learning about networking opportunities.
Other students commented on their approaches to college.
“When I entered college, I don’t think I understood how big of a commitment it is and how much time and energy it takes out of you,” one respondent said. “I rushed into it because it’s what was expected from me, and once I was in due to my situation I had no choice but to continue. In all honesty I wish I took at least a year to decide if college was the right route for me.”
Another respondent said, “I wish I had let myself pursue the things that I found interesting rather than feeling afraid that I would fail, because now I have to plan around the fact that I didn’t get a degree in what I wanted to do.”
“We understand that searching for a full-time job is a full-time job,” said CCLP Executive Director Valerie Mandel.
The CCLP provides a set of resources for students who are trying to find a position. Through the Rollins portal, students can access Handshake, which shows postings of available job opportunities. Handshake provides additional resources, such as Big Interview, which helps students build their interview skills, and CareerShift, which assists with networking and connecting with alumni. Students continue to have access to these resources after they graduate.
For students who feel concerned about a lack of formal experience, skills are often transferable between experiences, even if these experiences are not external internships. Metko said, “Don’t dismiss experiences, and learn to be a bit of a storyteller.”
For students trying to make their applications stand out, especially among applicant tracking systems, Mandel advised that students should pull key terms from job descriptions to include in their resumes, as well as include cover letters even if they’re listed as optional.
Life after college can be full of uncertainties, especially with the current difficulty of entering the job market, which requires students to work harder to stand out and to focus more on leveraging connections. Whether they plan to attend grad school, get a job, pursue a fellowship, or follow another path, seniors can reflect on the skills they’ve learned, focusing on how to apply them in the next phase of their lives.
The CCLP will be releasing their graduation survey on Monday, April 20, which is mandatory for CLA students to fill out in order to pick up their graduation tickets. The CCLP will also host their commencement ticket even on Thursday, April 30, from 2-6 p.m.
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