For the approximately 1,000 seniors in their last term at the College, the warm weather and sunshine of a Hanover spring are bringing something else this year: mixed feelings about graduating and questions about their futures.
With a job locked up or a spot assured in graduate school, some seniors are simply coasting toward the end of their Dartmouth career. Others face more daunting prospects, such as a 150-page thesis to write or finishing their job search.
And if they are not waiting for a job offer, some seniors may be found lurking around the Hinman boxes, anxiously awaiting acceptance letters from one of the many law, medical, business and graduate schools to which they have applied.
Seniors like psychology major Anne Hawk and government and economics major Kim Parry said they have little to worry about this spring -- they are not taking classes and have jobs lined up for next year.
Both women plan to live outside of Washington, D.C., next year. Hawk will work as a health-care consultant and Parry, who is currently auditing two classes, will work at a strategy consulting firm.
"Winter was horrible, a very stressful term for many seniors," said Hawk, who is working as a waitress in the Hanover Inn. "So this spring is just relaxing."
Parry, who is working at Rosie Jekes Cafe, said, "Working at Rosie's has been a great way to end the year because it is a good stress reliever."
Some seniors are not so lucky. Peter Woodson '95 is still waiting for the perfect job and is taking classes this term. But Woodson still says he is ready to leave his college years behind him.
"It has been a good four years here at Dartmouth. I picked a good school," Woodson said with a grin. "There is a time to move on in life, and right now my purpose [here] is done."
Neither Woodson nor fellow jobless senior Brian Wall said he is overly stressed about not having a job.
Wall, who also is working at Rosie's, said he is trying to enjoy his last term at school. He said he likes working because he can "try to maintain his sanity among all the anxieties of upcoming Commencement."
While Wall and Woodson search for jobs, Linda Albers '95 waits and waits. Ohio State law school lost her application twice, so she will not be notified of her status until June, long after other students have heard from graduate schools.
She said the worst part is "the empty mailbox."
Director of Career Services William Wright-Swadel said this year's group of seniors seems really focused on "resolving their sources of stress."
He said many seniors are currently tied up their theses, job hunts and interviews, in addition to their taking two or three classes. The overload of all of these activities makes graduation seem stressful, Wright-Swadel said.
Moriah Shilton '95, a sociology major from Elberon, N.J., is currently finishing her thesis. She is one of the fortunate few -- she just received a job offer as a paralegal in New York City and has even found housing.
"I guess that my thesis is not 'my life' and that helps with the stress," Shilton said. "I want to have a great time the last two months with my friends while also finishing something that I have put a lot of time and effort into."
Lauren Lieberman '95, a psychology and modified economics major from South Orange, N.J., is on the other side of the job search. She does not have a job for next year.
"For four years of college, everything in life is completely planned out," she said. But now she said she is stressed out about feelings of "complete uncertainty."
Lieberman said she just wants to spend her few remaining weeks here "hanging out" with her friends. She said she is constantly reminded of how little time she has left as a student in Hanover.
Wright-Swadel said many seniors have similar feelings of uncertainty and confusion about what lies ahead of them in the future.
He said many seniors are dealing with "the realization of letting go."He said this may frighten students who do not know what they want to do with their lives.
Other seniors know when they do accept a job they have to stick with it for a year or two, unlike the Dartmouth-Plan which causes constant change in students' environments, Wright-Swadel said.
Pamela Brockmeier '95 is staying on next year at the Thayer School of Engineering, which means she has another year before she has to worry about finding a job.
Although Brockmeier said she is not stressed about finding a job, she remains busy with her "heavy course load this term and [Dartmouth Outing Club] stuff."
Perhaps government major Alexander Paul '95 summed it up best when he said, "I am finally relieved."
Paul said he has been offered a job but has not yet accepted.
"The dividends are just starting to come in now. There has been a lot of heartbreak and a lot of uncertainty but the prospects look good in the long run," he said.
Without a doubt, money is one of the major concerns for graduating students. While students are hoping to find jobs they like, they also need to find jobs that will pay for their expenses.
"Money becomes a necessity to live, to pay off loans," Wright-Swadel said.
"The whole thing is a big time of change," Wright-Swadel said. "We wouldn't want to take away all the stress -- transitions in peoples' lives are stresses to start with. Whether they are leaving high school, getting married [or] graduating form medical school, everyone handles stress in a different way."
He said some seniors will take a post-graduate internship after graduation. He said these students want "real world" experience before they enroll in a graduate program.
