College Class of 2013 Storage Infographic

College Class of 2013: The Job Market, Location & More

As soon-to-be college graduates cram for final exams and gear up for graduation, they’re also thinking about where they’re going to live and work. If they’re lucky, these future members of the workforce already have the logistics figured out.

Unfortunately, many college grads face uncertain job prospects in 2013. “For the fifth consecutive year, new graduates will enter a profoundly weak labor market and will face high unemployment and underemployment rates and depressed wages,” according to the Economic Policy Institute.

Still, not all of the news for job-seeking college grads is depressing. This hiring season, about 27% of campus recruiters expected to boost starting salaries, up from 20% the year before, according to surveys by the College Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University.

Here, SpareFoot presents some figures that shed some light on what the future holds for the Class of 2013.

Moving Out For College?

As students begin to apply to college, important questions arise when deciding where to send those applications. Should a student only apply to colleges close to home? Just far enough away to have some of their own space? Or really, really far away?

Also, what are parents okay with? Are parents okay with their children moving far away? Or does this pose too many dangers that parents are uncomfortable with?

There are no easy answers to these questions and perhaps they warrant a discussion with someone who has been through this experience firsthand. I am a fresh college graduate who can offer my perspective

People in their late teens are very impressionable. A school’s environment can have a huge impact on a person’s entire life. Some may feel that the best environment for their child may be a nearby university because this would enable them to have control over their child, and would also enable the child to be involved with local jamaat activities.

On the other hand, attending a school far away could potentially offer a higher quality education, more opportunities for enrichment, as well as the necessary independence for a late teenager to experience personal growth, in both spiritual and worldly ways. Moreover, without the ability to freely make their own choices, how can there be blessings in how a child chooses to act?

While in college, for the first time in my life, I could do whatever I wanted – in sharp contrast to high school, where my freedoms were relatively limited. I was fortunate that in college, my mother did not micro-manage – rather than calling me every day to see what and how I was doing, she would call me maybe once every few days. She would mainly rely on me calling her, which I felt was a perfect arrangement. This arrangement enabled me to make my own decisions and be accountable for them. Since I was far away from home, I had to rely on God and God alone for support rather than my parents. This allowed me to strengthen my relationship with Him and grow spiritually, which is something I’m forever grateful for.

From a worldly perspective, every student will grow in college. But by virtue of being far from home, I had additional responsibilities that forced me to better develop time management skills (something I’m still working on) at a young age.

All in all, as someone who attended university away from home, I am strongly in favor of all Ahmadis being given the same opportunity, if possible.

With that in mind, here are some things to consider.

Students: Living away from home has its limitations. You won’t have the many comforts of home, such as easy access to home-cooked meals, and laundry, to name a few. You might have to cook your own food or eat out a lot (which gets tiring after a while). Also, you won’t be able to see your loving family and parents (which, if you think you can do without them, chances are that you’ll start growing more attached to them once you’re gone).

Parents: Living away from home has its dangers. Children may be overcome by influences that you are not comfortable with.

Parents and students: Going far away for college also has immense advantages. Students, for the first time in your life, you will be all alone, independent. This is an amazing feeling and opportunity. You will be able to experience unparalleled amounts of personal and spiritual growth.

How can the environment influence a college student?

Being surrounded with students who are passionate and knowledgeable about their respective fields of interest broadens one’s horizons, which is very important. Additionally, being around passionate faculty members can provide invaluable enrichment opportunities. Personally, I was primarily focused on becoming a physician before entering college. With the influence and inspiration from a passionate faculty member at my university, I was afforded the opportunity to go to a developing country and discover and cultivate a passion for human development and poverty alleviation projects - something I would have never otherwise discovered. Attending a university far away from my home as opposed to the closest university helped me broaden my horizons and influence my life trajectory.

Ultimately, students and parents should look for a university that will be to the student’s best advantage in the long run. The question of wanting to get away from home or even wanting to stay at home shouldn’t overshadow this.

Saad Karamat

saadkaramat@gmail.com

Q:Asalamualaikum. Recently in a sermon given by Amir Jama'at Canada, it was clearly stated that girls who have finished highschool, and have no career goals or plans for post-secondary education, should join the Aisha academy. He also added that they shouldn't have any career goals or post secondary education to begin with, and stay at home and be good wives and mothers. I find this statement quite disturbing, from a perspective of a women. Could you please look into this matter.

Anonymous

The conflict between gaining an education and being a wife and mother is an issue of deep concern for many young Muslim women and girls, and for the Jama’at as a whole.

We aren’t aware of which sermon this was from - if you can let us know via Twitter, as a comment on this post, or through our submissions feature, we can look into this further - and won’t make any direct comments without context.

However, this statement seems to be at odds with several sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):

“The seeking of knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim, man and woman.” (Ibne Majah)
“He who goes forth in search of knowledge is in the way of Allah till he returns.” (Tirmidhi)
“A person who brings his daughter up well and gives her a good training and education, thereby earns paradise.”

In fact, argues Muslims Writers Guild member Sardar Anees Ahmad (who is also part of our core Education team), intellectualism is mandated for women in Islam. During Umar (ra)’s caliphate, education was made mandatory for boys and girls.

Moreover, this contradicts our Khalifas. The simple fact that Hudhur has compiled lists of encouraged professions for girls is proof enough.

For Waqfenau girls in particular, some careers have been suggested:

“Girls should be taught education, medicine, computers, typing and languages: As far as education of these girls is concerned, it will be beneficial for them to get a degree in teaching…Similarly, we need female doctors to do social work. We need computer specialists and typists. Other than the job of a doctor, girls can do all other jobs well without mixing with men. They should become specialists in languages and become top experts in literary writings so that they can help with the publications of the Jama’at.

Medicine, which we know to be a particularly time-consuming and public career, has been specifically pushed by Khalifa-tul-Masih IV:

“I told the parents of the female Waqfeen to strive for their daughters to the maximum in the field of higher education. They should especially try to excel in the science of imparting knowledge to others.

“…We need women doctors in large numbers. They could render help to the Jamaat in this sector immensely. The deep impression they would create in this field would be immeasurable. Our women should join the ranks of Waqfeen after obtaining degrees in medicine.”

We can also look at our second Khalifa, who set up Jamia Nusrat, a women’s college in Rabwah, Pakistan. There’s also the vocational Nusrat Industrial School and Nusrat Girls’ High School. Clearly we see that secondary and post-secondary education for girls is not only permitted, but encouraged.

The stipulation - for lack of a better word, since it is not a rule but more of a suggestion parents should keep in mind - is that girls will attend educational institutes closer to home. Obviously if you’re making a choice between a Harvard education three hours away from home and a community college education down the street, you would seize the Ivy League degree. So long as you maintain your purdah and consider your future duties as a wife and mother, there is no issue.

Think of it this way: do you know any Ahmadi who would object if the next Nobel Prize winner was a Ahmadi woman?

(Aisha Academy is an Canadian institute of Islamic studies for young women, comparable to Jamia Ahmadiyya for young men looking to become missionaries. You must have a high school diploma to attend.)

Continue the discussion: ask us any education-related questions, or leave your thoughts in the forum below.

Scholarship & Internship Round-Up

AACE International
Deadline: February 15, 2013 // Award: $2,000 to $8,000

Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of academic performance (35%), extracurricular activities (35%), and an essay (30%) on the value ofstudy of cost engineering or total cost management. The essay should explain why cost management will be important in your career goals.

Ada I. Pressman Memorial Scholarship
Deadline: February 15, 2013 // Award: $5,000 renewable for 5 years

This scholarship is for (US Citizen) female undergraduate and graduate students (minimum 3.0 GPA) studying any field of engineering.

Best Buy Scholarship
Deadline: February 15, 2013 // Award: $1,000 (1,100 winners)

This is for students in grades 9-12 living in the U.S. or Puerto Rico, who plan to attend an accredited U.S. or Puerto Rico college or vocational school after high school graduation. Scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate commitment to and involvement in community volunteer service or work experience.

The National Hydropower Association Past Presidents’ Legacy Scholarship Program

Deadline: February 15, 2013 // Award: $2,500

This is open to current full-time college sophomores or juniors who will be juniors or seniors beginning in the fall; or full-time graduate students; with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent). It is also open to students with an equivalent GPA at an accredited vocational-technical school or program. Applicant must be pursuing a program of study that is related to the hydropower industry: Engineering, sciences (biology, fisheries, and hydrology), communications, or environmental studies.

ACS Scholars Program

Deadline: March 1, 2013 // Award: $2,500 - $5,000 (renewable)

This scholarship is for underrepresented minority students want to enter the fields of chemistry or chemistry-related fields, such as environmental science, toxicology and chemical technology. High school seniors and college freshmen, sophomores, or juniors from underrepresented are eligible to apply.

ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund

Deadline: March 1, 2013 Award: $15,000 / 3 years (20 winners)

The ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship grants 20 incoming diverse law students with $15,000 of financial assistance over the course of their three years in law school.  

Muslim Sister Scholarship

Deadline: March 15, 2013 // Award: $1,000 (3 winners)

This scholarship is for Muslim women, ages 17-24 and from the DC Metropolitan Area (from DC/Maryland or Virginia). Applicants must be currently enrolled in or accepted to a 2- or 4-year college and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5.

Doodle 4 Google

Deadline: March 22, 2013 // Award: $30,000 scholarship, $50,000 tech grant for school

K-12 students are asked to redesign the Google logo around the theme “My Best Day Ever…” The winning artwork will appear on the Google homepage.

Contributed by Sister Ayesha Noor

Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP)

March 30, 2013 // Award: $21,000

This program is for underrepresented students who have recently completed their bachelor’s degree and need to obtain more experience and preparation before entering a PhD graduate program in the biomedical sciences. Included in this program is a salary for mentored biomedical research, tuition coverage for one course per semester, GRE preparation, mentoring and networking opportunities


Research Associate Opportunityimage

Job starts after June 1, 2013 // Ends on June 30, 2014

Work with Jonathan Zittrainas a Research Associate! The research associate will engage with a variety of projects and classes, and will have the opportunity to immerse in cyberlaw and Internet topics. BS/BA required. Previous eaching/TA experience a plus. Previous formal experience in cyberlaw is not required, but a strongly developed interest in cyberlaw, the Internet, technology and policy is highly recommended.

Contributed by Sister Monsura Sirajee

Come across a cool scholarship or an amazing internship? Be it a past scholarship you’ve won, or just something you found interesting, feel free to share it with us!

Top