I do not go to haunted houses this time of year — they freak me out way too much.

Last time I went to a haunted house, I nearly had a breakdown when a clown with a chainsaw decided to single me out of my group of friends.

However, there is one thing that scares me more than a clown with a chainsaw — unemployment.

With unemployment rates looming around 9 percent, the chances of getting a job right out of college seem a little grim at times.

As students, we need to be on our toes. In my time at IU Southeast, I have been seeking as many ways as possible to make myself marketable for future employers.

We’ll see how that works.

I do know one thing for sure — employers want to hire the people who are prepared, flexible and passionate.

It is common sense.

This means the ball in is our court, and we’d better start playing.

College is cast in a dual identity for students, and I think it is time for us to sit down and figure out why we are really here.

On the one hand, there are those who tell us we are young, and we should use these last four years before employment to have as much fun as possible.
We should worry about the big stuff later.

Others stand on the opposite end of the spectrum, telling us we must use every second wisely to study, intern, volunteer and leave the fun for some distant future.

I do not know about other students, but I know this makes me feel like a pendulum swinging from one extreme to the other.

To give myself more stability, I decided I need to make myself a mission statement. Why am I going to college?

Is it for the social aspect, the late nights at pubs or the various clubs I can join?
Maybe it is for the classes, and the pearls of wisdom from professors and late nights studying in the library.

Or am I here for the networking, and the opportunities to get help from Career Services, attend job fairs and rub shoulders with professionals?

To be honest, I decided I need all three.

Aristotle’s Golden Mean points us to a middle ground. He said, when trying to make a choice, we should always avoid the extremes and strike a balance.

However, balance does not mean compromising either goal. It means finding the hairpin position on the line that gives each need equal weight and benefits from the strongest points of both positions.

I need to learn from my professors, network and make enriching friendships in college.

These three things should not be sacrificed at this time or lead me into an extreme. Too frequent partying, cloistered study habits or putting work above all else are not viable plans for true success in college.

This means lines must be drawn with hair-splitting precision.

Every day, I am forced to make a choice to consider my needs and to prioritize. Many times, I fail to make those priorities correctly, but, the more conscious effort I make, the better at it I become.

My mission at IU Southeast is to gain all I can from everyone I am around and to make this community a better place.

Furthermore, my mission is to advance my personal goals for future career paths.  Anything that impedes or even slows down my progress as I head toward that goal is just superfluous.

This means I have to turn down some really great opportunities at times.
Learning to say “no” is the hardest test I’ve had to pass at college. There is too much to take advantage of here.

I am constantly reminding myself I am only one person, and, for the sake of my health, I have to keep my schedule in control.

This means protecting your time to study and work, but also your time to relax or go out with friends.

It means refusing to be distracted by superfluous time-fillers and constantly asking what is necessary to achieve my goals.

As I strive to strike this balance between classes, clubs and networking, I am finding the three often overlap.

The friends I develop on campus and in clubs become my study partners, the professors in my classes refer me to people I can network with, and the energetic atmosphere at my internships increases my passion to succeed in my classes and extracurricular commitments.

I believe working to strike this balance is enriching me as a person and preparing me for the workforce life in a way nothing else could.

It is increasing my confidence.

I am developing skills, building relationships and increasing my marketability with everything I do on campus, whether work or play.

I am not sure if I will succeed in finding a job right out of college, but, now, I feel like I have much less reason to be afraid — leave that to the clowns and their chainsaws.

By MICHELLE HOP

Profiles Editor

mhop@ius.edu