When the Record’s expert delegator – Sheldon Good, editor-in-chief – informed me that I would be responsible for this week’s “For the Record,” I was hardly in a position to refuse.
The problem, however, was that I actually am too busy to spend any more time on the newspaper. My attempt to complete college in three years has pretty much taken over my life.I didn’t explain this to Sheldon. He’s in my senior seminar, so a certain courtesy is required. If I wasn’t in that class, though, I might have more time for editorials and maybe even for things on my to-do list, like, oh, starting my independent study.
Senior seminars provide insightful experiences that I would have thoroughly appreciated last year, when I was terrified and clueless about resumes, interviews and personal statements. Unfortunately, by this semester, I’ve figured enough of that out on my own – at least enough to receive an offer from the graduate program at Brown University.
What if senior seminar became a junior year spring semester or May term class? It might also be helpful if Goshen College intentionally emphasized that the spring semester senior seminar was for students who don’t plan to go straight to graduate school.
It isn’t unusual for students to take time off after graduation. But does it make sense that almost every senior I’ve spoken with plans to do this?
What if some of them were just too overwhelmed to apply for schools and take the GRE or other exams while they were still at Goshen College?
Offering a senior seminar during junior year could be a more effective way to help students negotiate their options.
