Senior-Year Experience Eases Transition to Post-College World
As graduation looms, seniors prepare to leave the familiarity of the campus community and venture into the world of work or grad school. This year, Colorado College faculty and staff collaborated with senior class officers to ease the transition from campus to life beyond CC, creating the Senior-Year Experience (SYE).
“The program began with the question, ‘How do I construct my life after CC?’” says Balin Anderson ’06, class president. “We wanted to prevent students from feeling lost during that transition.” The program helps students acquire life skills, make important connections, and deal with the stress that accompanies what Professor John Riker describes as “expulsion from paradise.”
Riker, who delivered the 2006 SYE capstone address, “Facing the World After College,” says the transition is characterized by fragmentation, as students’ social networks stretch and sometimes fray. To help combat that fragmentation, traditional senior social programs like Bagels and Brewfest, 100 Days ’til Graduation, and Jazzfest have been integrated into the SYE to help seniors stay connected to each other. “It helps to hear other people as they go through the same experiences,” says Anderson.
Beyond social support, SYE gives practical advice. Senior class treasurer Trinity Ludwig ’06 found alumni panels helpful, because alumni emphasized taking advantage of going to CC’s Career Center. “The grad panel helped me get the ball rolling in the right direction,” she says. “And students appreciated the financial panel answering basic questions about loans and savings. It’s really a shock when you get out there; savings isn’t something you think about when you’re 21.”
Kelly Greengard ’06, chair of the SYE and class vice president, agrees. “The most important thing we did was connect people to resources — the grad panel, the financial panel, and the nonprofit panel.”
Incoming senior class officers plan to build on the groundwork laid this year to plan a more comprehensive and extensive SYE next year, including more diverse speakers and more alumni participation. “We definitely want the program to grow,” says Jesse Horn ’07, incoming class president. “We want to add a couple more events, and we’d like to see more participation. Our main goal is to promote class unity and lifelong friendships.”
Lauri Thomas ’04 of the office of alumni and parent relations advises class officers and coordinates SYE. She says her goals for 2007 include permanent funding and more alumni participation in the event. “SYE has so much potential. I hope it will partner with more academic departments, administration, and professors,” Thomas says. “SYE is an extension of the academic mission President Celeste has set forth. Education is an adventure, and SYE works hand in hand with academics to help prepare seniors to use what they attained over their four years here.”
For more information, see www.ColoradoCollege.edu/SYE/