Communications Director Matt Guidry of The United Council of UW Students, Inc. has graciously informed me of a survey which it is conducting in conjunction with One Wisconsin Institute to sample the average debt, living conditions, geographies, and demographics of university graduates who are either paying student loan debt or are in deferment on payment of one or more student loans.

Although the sponsoring organizations as based in Wisconsin, all university graduates in arrears are welcome to participate because there are questions to segment respondents by state and by ZIP code. And yes, the survey really does require only five minutes maximum, even if you tab through the page elements rather than use the mouse.

University Graduate Student
Loan Debt Survey

Click here to access the survey!

Addendum: Congratulations if you paid your way through university without loans or paid off your debt really quickly with a high-paying job right out of college, but we're looking for university graduates who are still under one or more student loan debt obligations, whether they've graduated this May or have been a graduate for many years but have been unable to repay all student loan debt -- thanks!

You can do better; go to trade school!

You’re Graduating -- So What?

My primary audience for today’s post is the newly minted or soon-to-be college graduate. You’ve shown enough topical knowledge to be certified as knowing your way through the concepts of one or more subject matters. "A winner is you!" Why the sarcasm? Any obstacles in obtaining student employment were preludes to the perilous challenges of securing real employment in the adult world without the “benefit of the doubt” which accompanies the youngest of job applicants.

Contrast the “industrious” perception of the high schooler who applies for an entry-level assembly, customer service, or otherwise menial job against the “desperate” college graduate who applies for the same job. Whereas the former is too young to have an adult employment record and hence has an excuse for lack of prior experience -- much like a person lacking a credit history has a fairly high credit score -- the latter is expected to have not only had a continuous employment record but also shown an increase in prestige with each subsequent job.

Be prepared for unemployment after conferral of your degree if your jobs have been Work Study or otherwise student-only. Given the timing of this post, some of you might have statistical homework or research papers requiring a statistical summary section. If that is your lot and you realize the futility of graduation but still want or need to earn an “A” on your stats work, then send me a project request.

Bonus: Check out these unapologetically captioned graduation pictures!

Also, Dave Granlund drew a poignant political cartoon --recolored by yours truly for dramatic effect -- biting into the ritual psychodrama bookending the modern university system:

If you've spent the better part of your high school years preparing for admission to a quality university -- most state universities are crap despite being accredited -- then you can be forgiven for thinking the university is your be-all and end-all to a good life. However, you've been forewarned about the possibility that you've been preparing for an illusory outcome which will never exist in your lifetime -- you can be very accomplished in studies, Work Study, and other university activities but be strung out employment-wise upon and after graduation.