Future plans spark participation

For many students, deciding whether or not to join an activity outside the classroom may hinge on post-graduation plans. Peggy Curchack, assistant director for the College at Career Planning and Placement Services, said last week that she notices a difference among students seeking employment and those planning to apply to graduate schools. "I certainly think that for students looking for jobs, employers over and over and over again say that leadership is important and that they look for it," Curchack said. "In graduate studies, the issues change. If somebody wants a Ph.D., the grad schools are really evaluating their academic performance and not so much if they were in an activity." Curchack said that for medical schools in particular, research experience is far more important than outside activities. She added that while this type of experience is not necessarily considered extra-curricular, it is indeed outside of the classroom. "Many students applying to med school will use research opportunities the way students looking for jobs use extra-curricular activities," she said. Assistant Director for Student Life Programs Bob Schoenberg said he thinks students are nervous about either of their post-graduation options, forcing them to abandon extra-curricular activities in favor of more studying. "There may be somewhat lower participation in student activities in the last couple of years [because] students are hearing the statistics that it's getting harder and harder to find employment after graduation, and that grad schools . . . are very competitive," he said. Curchack said, however, that upperclassmen often reconsider their earlier decisions not to participate in extra-curricular activities. "Often, students who have been uninvolved regularly will try in their junior or senior year to get involved for the purpose of feeling that they are enhancing their resume," she said. Some students, Curchack said, are so paranoid about their appearance to potential employers that they tend to "pad" their resumes with too many activities. She said they often list activities they are not active in just for the sake of listing them. Unfortunately for these students, employers are not fooled, Curchack said. "Interviewers are quickly able to separate the meaningful leaders from the resume fillers," she said. "Ultimately, if a student feels that having things on a resume is all that matters, that's going to become obvious to an employer."

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