If you are one of the 2,000 or so UMBC seniors planning to graduate this May, there are many steps you need to be taking over the next several months to ensure a smooth launch into whatever it is you want to do next. Below are some of the most vital items for your pre-launch checklist.
Have you applied for May graduation?
The formal deadline of February 15 has come and gone, but the on line application system accepted applications through Wednesday, February 22. If you missed that extended deadline for a compelling reason, contact the Office of the Registrar immediately. To learn more about the whole graduation review process, click here:
Is your degree audit "Satisfied"? In all categories? Reflecting all the programs you are pursuing?
With your semester under way and your degree audit showing “Satisfied” all the way (including the “in progress” coursework), you are off to an excellent start. If your degree audit is not Satisfied, then you have a problem ("Houston, we have a problem...") and need to meet with your academic advisor immediately! Another sign of trouble is if your degree audit’s idea of what degree, minor, certificate, etc. you are pursuing differs from your own current thinking. You need to update your program immediately (by submitting a Declaration of Major form to the Registrar’s office) if there is a discrepancy.
Have you submitted all your graduate school applications and taken or re-taken the graduate or professional school admissions tests relevant to your plans—GRE, DAT, MCAT, etc.?
Most tests are now available in computerized testing centers year-round. Be strategic about when you take or re-take the test. Find more information about the tests here.
Have you been fitted for your spacesuit? Anti-gravity boots? Helmet?
That was just to make sure you were still reading….
Are you prepared to continue working on your coursework with the same (or close to the same) vigor that you have been applying up to now?
Failing a course in your final semester or failing to achieve your usual standard can delay your launch. Graduate and professional schools who are expecting you want to see your final transcript and this is why. If you earn less than a C in a course for your major or general eds, you may already have participated in the cap and gown part of graduation, but you will not be having that degree posted to your record or that diploma in the mail until every i is dotted and t crossed. Avoid that grim scenario by keeping up your pace!
Do you have a fully polished, complete, up to date, road-tested and optimized resume and portfolio of accomplishments (work samples, publications, awards, clippings, testimonials) appropriate for the field in which you are seeking employment?
Enough said. (Except, if you do not have this, visit the Career Services Center immediately.)
Have you made plans for Spring break week (March 19-26) that include:
Job interviews—either for a vacancy or strictly informational
Graduate or professional school visits
Interviewing for the Peace Corps, Teach for America, or Americorps
Trying out for the NHL, NBA, NFL, or practicing with the U.S. Olympic Team
Using that spring break week to good advantage when graduation is just two months away is frankly a no-brainer. Go to Cancun after you have landed a job. (Note: if you have signed with the NBA, you may go to Cancun on spring break.)
Have you secured a summer internship or placement?
If you are not walking directly into a full time permanent job after graduation, look for a summer position. Many summer internship programs are open to recent graduates and can provide opportunities to earn money, gain experience, and potentially qualify for permanent jobs later. And the last thing you want to do is follow up your exciting graduation launch day with a retreat to the family sofa to watch TV all summer. If you have the funds for a trip to Europe, that’s great, but have something concrete lined up for when you return.
Have you told your parents and other close family members to save the date for undergraduate commencement—Monday, May 21?
[NOTE: Time correction from earlier announcement] Commencement will begin at 1pm at the First Mariner Arena with doors opening at 11:30am for family and the processional starting at 12:30pm.
Once you have checked off all the above items, you are ready to start the final countdown. Congratulations!
Extra Credit Bonus Question:
Is the following statement true or false?
Once you have registered for your final set of courses, you are all set to graduate from UMBC and launch yourself into the rest of your life.
QUESTION FOR MAY 2012 PROSPECTIVE GRADS:
What are YOUR plans for the summer after graduation: rest, work, vacation, job hunting, or WHAT? Let us know in the comment section!
