I recently received an email from one of my Social Justice and Peace Studies professors posing a few questions to graduates of the program to see what they are doing with the degree. I thought I’d post my response here for future reference.
2. What you’ve done since graduating
Graduating left a very big question mark looming over my head. With SJPS being such a broad topic, able to be applied to so many areas (one of its benefits), I decided to take the summer off and live on the West coast for a few months (Burnaby, B.C.). I thought this time away would make things (mainly my plans for the future) more clear. It didn’t.
Still not knowing what to do, I returned home to a 6-month contract job in September, helping a company implement a new software package. It may sound out of the SJPS realm, but nothing really is and I’ve used some of the skills and understandings taught in the program while training and working with people in our company. This also allowed me to save some money and do more traveling.
3. What you’re doing now (summer 2009)
The 6-month contract turned into a 1-year contract so I will be spending my summer working in an office. It is only May and I am already having a lot of trouble dealing with the notion that I don’t get the summer off–imagine! Add to that the fact that I am still not clear on what I want to do in the future and it may sound like things aren’t looking too promising. On the contrary, I have learned a lot about myself and the “real world.” For example, I now know that I do not want to work with software implementation, sales, or in the typical office atmosphere. I’ve also learned that the present is far too interesting to spend all of your time worrying about figuring life out and trying to orchestrate your future. Life changes and new opportunities arise. Therefore, I’ve decided to lessen my grip on security blankets and try new things, even if I’m not sure they are the best option.
4. What you hope/plan to do in the near future
About to graduate, I had no idea what I wanted to do so I applied to teachers’ college just to see if I would get in. As it turns out, I was accepted at the U of T and now have to decide whether I want to go. Being a teacher is not something I have ever been passionate about and I’m not sure if it is something I would want to do for the rest of my life. However, there are a lot of benefits to having the option and it could turn out to be very satisfying–able to promote social justice to future generations, not being stuck in an office, and getting my beloved summers back! My grade 11 Physics teacher once said that there are no right or wrong decisions in life, there is only what you make and learn from those decisions. With this in mind, I plan to take the chance and see how it works out.
5. A short note on the SJPS program
The point of this email was to find out what graduates DO with the SJPS degree. Because the degree is so overarching, it is important to recognize that the benefits of the program go beyond the career paths it leads to. An important aspect of the program is how well it prepares one for adult life in society. The SJPS experience is a very eye-opening one. I think it teaches students valuable lessons and makes them more dynamic individuals, something that is greatly rewarded in the “real world.”
6. Book Recommendations (both are very short)
The Alchemist
The Tao of Pooh
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24 Comments
Congratulations on getting accepted to teachers college man. You should post some stuff on how your trip to Costa Rica went.
Where’s point #1?
I graduated six years ago, and nobody has ever asked me what I did with my degree (in medieval literature). (not much ;)Loved it though!)
I am curious about Costa Rica: when you´ve been, could you tell me if they have decent internet in the places you´re staying at? Been meaning to go there, but need constant, stable internet!
lots of good information, many thanks
When i graduated in computer science and my mom asked me what is my future plan then i said to her that i am going to marry my girlfriend & on the very next day we got married and it was really very happy moment for me
nice post …
interesting to read
nice post
thanks for share
congrats on graduating!
i didn’t know such a degree existed–you learn something new all the time….
Great blog. Yes, life is about creating a vision of who you want to be, then living each day in a way that propels you toward that vision…
about to graduate myself. Don’t know what i’m going to do. hopefully things work out.
Congrats! Hope everything will work out for you. By the way, I have read The Tao of Pooh. I would have recommended the same to others.
Really nice blog. An interesting article
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Hi! I’m from the Philippines. Thank you very much for the interesting post!It’s very helpful and very informative.
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Great blog! The options after any type of graduation can seem endless and perhaps they are but you seem to be doing well. Focus is key!
Congratulations and hope you use your degree well. Well done and best luck for the feature. I am still in the middle of my degree in modern languages.
Congrats for completion of your degree. All the best for your future.
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Thank you very good and a healthy writing. I will definitely keep track of posts and the occasional visit.
thank you wery mach.
The Alchemist is an all time favorite for me. Enjoyed reading this post and hope everything works out well for you.
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