Transitioning to post-undergraduate life and the work force is quickly becoming a reality for the 692 students graduating from UW-Whitewater this weekend.

Career and Leadership Development Director Ron Buchholz said undergraduate students express different levels of readiness in transitioning from college to post-graduation life.

“It’s really a mixed bag of feelings because college was a major life change for most people and it has kind of been a safe comfort zone for people,” Buchholz said.

“Many students will probably feel sad to be leaving friends behind but others might feel ready to move onto that new chapter in his or her life.”

Buchholz said life after graduation can produce a variety of mixed emotions.

“Every student is different,” Buchholz said. “Some students are really self-motivated. They’re ready for the next step and know exactly what they want to do and adjust real well into the work world. On the other hand, there is a large group of students who are really surprised by graduation and are unsure of what the next step is.”

Some UW-Whitewater seniors, like Kyle Alme, see graduation as an exciting transition.

“It feels good to be finally graduating,” Alme said. “I’ve enjoyed my time in Whitewater, but it’s time to move on.”

Others, such as psychology major Geoff Camarillo, might be nervous about the job search after graduation.

“It’s a little exciting, but at the same time unnerving and stressful now that I know I have to find a job and have a more structured life schedule,” Camarillo said.

Buchholz said though entering the workforce can be daunting, it’s just a matter of time before students adjust.

“All of us, when we start our careers, are just works in progress,” Buchholz said. “So, it takes time to adjust to the actuality of the real life work world.”

According to Vice Chancellor of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education John Stone, one route students tend to take after graduation is furthering their education through a graduate’s degree program.

“There is a significant value added to a student earning their master’s degree. It makes you a better thinker, refines your writing skills, capacity to think and analyze complex problems, and increase your lifetime earnings,” Stone said.

According to Stone, pursuing a graduate degree has become more popular over the past few years and enrollment has increased tremendously.

Stone said besides the roughly $1 million more grad students will earn in a lifetime, developing new lasting relationships while in a graduate degree program also attracts students.

“It’s a challenging experience that students share together and usually will create some friendships that will last a lifetime because of the hard work to earn their master’s degree,” Stone said.