For the 178 St. Edward’s University undergraduate students who competed their degree plan in December, the past two months  have meant trying to adjust to their post-colligate schedules. 

In Fall 2013, St. Edward’s Career Services released a study that cited that an impressive 92 percent of St. Edward’s graduates found a career in their field within nine months of completing their degree.  Although statistics like this are not yet available for December 2013 graduates, these young adults — regardless of their employment situation — have said that the post-graduation transition takes some getting used to.  

Jonathan Coker – The underemployed

Coker thrives on the big city life style and has applied to jobs Austin, Houston, Los Angles and New York City, but he’s currently working an hourly retail job.

Coker graduated in three and a half years with a degree in English Writing and Rhetoric, so he is ideally looking for a job in publishing or perhaps public relations.  He has heard back from a few potential employers who have told him he does not have the proper skill set and others have offered him unpaid internships. Coker had unpaid internships in college, but said at this post-graduate stage an income means that he can afford to live and eat.

“Looking for writing jobs is extremely difficult in Austin. It’s too competitive,” Coker said.

A local company did offer Coker a job in his field, but he turned the opportunity down. He said it was a complex, multifaceted decision, but he couldn’t justify leaving his retail job that pays $13 an hour for something that paid less even if it called for skills he developed at St. Edward’s. 

While at work, Coker said he often thinks to himself, “Hey, I have a degree in something that could be used for something rather than folding.”

Coker is trying to stay realistic and realizes that it’s rare to hit the metaphorical job jackpot right after college. He said that he is looking for something that fits somewhat and is trying to stay active with writing by contributing to a blog managed by a group of St. Edward’s alumni called “Bullshit Before Breakfast.” 

Although Coker is listed as the blog’s editor on the staff page, his only “pay” is keeping his writing sharp. The site posts articles, poems and short tidbits that the consumer can read like the title says — before breakfast.

Most of Coker’s friends are still in school and he said the other recent graduates he knows are in what he called a  “drifting phase.” He said it’s hard to make a schedule since he has so few responsibilities compared to his tenure at St. Edward’s.  

“It gets better though. I think,” he said.

 Nicole Wellman –  The medical student hopeful

In first grade, Wellman thought doctor was spelled “docter,” and although she didn’t know how to spell the word she knew what she wanted to do when she grew up.  

In December, she graduated a semester early with a degree in biology and is dedicating this semester to studying for the MCAT. She describes her situation as anti-climactic because she is in this, “weird transition period where I’m not really doing anything.”

Wellman plans to take the MCAT on April 11 and then look for a research job before starting medical school. She will apply in May, anticipates getting interviews in the fall of this year and if everything goes as planned she will start her program in the fall of 2015. Wellman’s end goal is working in pediatrics as a neurosurgeon.

Wellman is trying to keep a tight schedule so that she can maximize her study time, but she said it has been difficult to craft a schedule because she doesn’t have pressing responsibilities.  When she has good days back to back, it’s like a CD on repeat: wake up, eat, study, go running, study, eat. Sometimes she studies at coffee shops around Austin.

“I’m trying to find other things to do like volunteering, so that I can work with an actual schedule,” Wellman said.  She is also using this time to set up shadowing days with different doctors and to observe surgeries. 

Wellman said that she is thankful for this break from school, but that she especially misses playing club soccer at St. Edward’s. Wellman was part of the club soccer program since its inception in 2010.

“I hate not being there to see the team grow under my leadership. It’s weird hearing about it and not being a part of it anymore,” Wellman said. 

In the two months since graduating, Wellman said that a lot has changed and that she feels like she can no longer relate to what some of her friends are going through. 

“I’m not under the same kind of stress.” Wellman said. “I mean I still have obligations, but they aren’t written in stone.”

Kristen Hart – The recently employed

Hart started her job at the Austin-based company Key Ingredient on Feb. 4. She is the assistant product manager and manages the company’s Pinterest and website, keyingredient.com. She is working under a former professor, which she enjoys.

After seven semesters at St. Edward’s, Hart graduated in December with a business degree that focused on digital media management. Upon graduation, she went into fulltime job-hunting mode. She started pushing out applications in November, had about 40 interviews and applied to far more jobs than that.

Besides the two weeks that Hart went home to the Dallas area for the holidays, she spent the majority of the past two months researching jobs, applying for them and going to interviews. 

“I tried to keep a schedule because you can easily get into lazy town,” Hart said.

Hart was a member of the NCAA womens soccer team on campus. The team made a deep run into the NCCA tournament, which meant their season extended into November. Hart did interviews on the road, in a hotel and in an airport terminal.

Hart had four internships while in college and could not believe what it took to find a job. 

“I just want to tell people to start applying for jobs now, and research the companies,” she said. “Don’t waste your time with sketchy people.”

Hart is thankful for the business communication class she had to take that required her to create a LinkedIn and write a resume and cover letter. 

“Just having a class that forced us to create that stuff was really helpful,” Hart said.

Hart is happy to be done with school, but she misses soccer. She wishes she could play another season at St. Edward’s and have another run at the NCAA tournament. She is adjusting to having a different schedule and being in a different stage than her friends.

“Its weird because I’m in the self-support stage, and they aren’t,” Hart said. “My evenings are free, and they have homework.”

Follow Shelby on Twitter @shelby_sas.