Innovative Teaching to Prepare Students for Life after College

April Perry, Western Carolina University

In this article, research on the post-university transition is presented along with a description of how the research findings have informed practice through innovative curricula. This curriculum’s teaching strategies and pedagogical interventions serve as a launching point for student success and the transition after graduation. The paper concludes with the transferability and applicability of transition support and preparation strategies in and out of the classroom.

Research Context and Overview

Higher education initiatives for students in transition began with a focus on first-year students (i.e., those transitioning into the university experience). Empirical evidence suggests that these initiatives have increased student retention rates, cognitive skills (active thinking, intellectual engagement, and academic skills), personal (social and emotional) development, satisfaction with the institution (faculty and peers), and engagement in the learning experience (Engberg & Mayhew, 2007; Friedman, 2008; National Resource Center [NRC], n.d.). As interest and research regarding first-year initiatives increased, more attention was given to final-year students and support initiatives for those leaving the university. Exploring the literature revealed a scarcity of evaluative research on the transition leaving college, in contrast with the extensive research focusing on the transition into college. Therefore, a longitudinal qualitative study (Perry, 2012; Perry, 2022) based on an interpretive paradigm through symbolic interactionism and narrative theory was conducted to explore three research questions:

1. What are the experiences of young, recent university graduates?

2. What are the perspectives of young, recent university graduates?

3. What are the resultant recommendations for institutions wishing to support their graduating students?

Young graduates were defined as those who attended university immediately after high school and were transitioning into a full-time, non-academic environment for the first time. Recent graduates were defined as those who had graduated within the previous year. Twenty graduates participated in six months of research by engaging in monthly interviews and self-reflective journaling. All participants were graduates of the same university and broadly represented their university’s student population in terms of degree attained (i.e., the sciences, liberal arts, education), race, and gender.

In exploring research questions one and two, the data indicated four main themes of the post-university transition: shifting identities, searching, unmet expectations, and stabilizers. Sub-themes within shifting identities illustrated that life (in terms of comfort zones, relationships, interests, perspectives, routines, and living situations) differed for the participants before graduation and that their perceptions had shifted (or were shifting). Within the theme of searching, sub-themes represented more emotional elements of transition—aspects of life that the participants did not have (e.g., certainty and direction) but were seeking (e.g., fulfillment, happiness, and meaningful relationships). The sub-themes in unmet expectations exemplified the participants’ perceptions of themselves, their degree (entitlement), job searching, the workplace transition, earning potential, finances, the economy, and other challenges in the post-university transition. Although these findings illustrated that graduates were experiencing difficulties in their post-university transition, the data also indicated that participants found stabilizers that helped to support and balance their transition. These included support systems, groups/activities, faith, health, and accepting uncertainties by living for the moment.

Based on the findings, recommendations for institutional support around this transition (research question three) provided practical strategies within three primary categories: career preparation, emotional support, and practical life skills.

Research in Practice

The research findings for institutional support (career preparation, emotional support, and practical life skills) have been used as a guide to design curriculum for capstone courses to better prepare students for life after study. For career preparation, students are taught to compose documents such as a resume, cover letter, philosophy statement, writing samples, and an electronic portfolio to showcase their work. Class sessions are dedicated to teaching the students skills on job searching specific to their discipline, networking, mentoring, social media management, and participating in mock interviews. The required course readings for emotional support comprised stories about others who had transitioned into their specific field. Each class period includes discussions about transition, how students can create support systems, and manage their expectations about the transition. With practical life skills, panelists and guest speakers present on personal financing, loan repayment, salary and benefits negotiation, job fit, navigating workplace conflict, moving to a new city, and more.

Due to the intentionality of this curriculum, students/graduates from these courses/programs have seen an increase in job attainment and more stability in their post-college transition. Additionally, these courses are often rated highly in student course evaluations and alumni surveys. One student evaluation said, “The reflection questions and discussions were helpful on this journey. I was appreciative of the time took to care for our group not only academically but emotionally and with our mental health.” A recent graduate said, “This class was a good opportunity for me to learn about the inner workings of becoming a professional, and I can truly say that it gave me the confidence I needed to accept my first job.”

Transferable Strategies for Application

There is a need to guide students in managing their expectations (about transition and life after college) by helping them understand their shifting identities and the uncertainty that often accompanies the post-university transition. Additional strategies that center around career preparation, emotional support, and practical life skills may include, but are not limited to:

• Final-year seminars/courses (that encompass all three elements of support): An example may include an interdisciplinary transition course, similar to (but on the opposite continuum of) first-year experience courses, providing a bookend course to the college experience (Gardner & Van der Veer, 1999).

• Offering more rigorous internship programs: The more opportunities students have for in-depth experiential learning and transferable skill development, the more likely they will be able to identify meaningful work after graduation (Spencer & Perry, 2015; Perry & Perry, 2015).

• Providing networking opportunities with professionals in their field: Examples may include alumni social gatherings, mentor-matching, informational interviews, or shadowing opportunities.

• Offering career-skills development training: This may include resume creation, mock interviews, job-searching strategies, and opportunities for developing transferable soft skills that employers desire regardless of industry (Gardner & Perry, 2011). This could be facilitated through the career center and/or an academic discipline.

• Providing ongoing career and counseling services for recent graduates: Access to critical campus services for a period of time after graduation

• Facilitating support groups for recent graduates: This could be organized through their academic discipline, campus affinity groups, or the alumni association.

• Implementing transition awareness education: Campus professionals can help students manage their expectations about life after college. Conversations may include discussions with students about how a degree (albeit important and a great privilege) does not mean they will not navigate hardship post-graduation.

• Offering financial literacy training: Such training could include more in-depth information about the long-term implications of student loans (Perry & Spencer, 2018).

• Providing life-skills training: This may include information about personal financing, home mortgages, taxes, and insurance. It may also involve guest lectures from professionals, such as bankers and insurance agents.

Conclusion

While the mission of educational institutions is to educate the next generation of the citizenry to be the critical conscience of society, it is also essential for educators to prepare students for their futures by equipping them with professional, practical, and personal transferable skills. This is particularly relevant in uncertain times, such as economic downturns. Therefore, using the empirical findings to inform course curriculum and additional institutional support initiatives is imperative and transferable to various disciplines and modalities.

References

Engberg, M. E., & Mayhew, M. J. (2007). The influence of first-year “success” courses on student learning and democratic outcomes. Journal of College Student Development, 48(3), 241-258.

Friedman, D. (2008). Assessing first-year seminars. Presentation from FirstYear Assessment Conference: San Antonio, TX on October 13, 2008. Retrieved from http://www.sc.edu/fye/events/presentation/national_ assessment/2008/2008Handouts.html

Gardner, J. N., & Van der Veer, G. (1998). The senior year experience: Facilitating integration, reflection, closure, and transition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition (n.d.). Center surveys. Retrieved from http://www.sc.edu/fye/research/surveys/survey_instruments/index.html

Perry, A. (2012). Treading through swampy water: Graduates’ experiences of the post-university transition. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://aprilperry.weebly.com/uploads/4/5/6/1/45613049/april_perry_phd_dissertation.pdf

Perry, A. (2022). A comprehensive view of the post-university transition: A longitudinal study. National Resource Center Research Brief Series, 7, 1-4.

Perry, A., & Perry, L. (2015). Final-year transition and service-learning: Working together as a vehicle for student engagement, development, and life preparedness. The International Journal of Research on ServiceLearning and Community Engagement 3(1), 1-10.

Perry, A., & Spencer, C. (2018). College didn’t prepare me for this: The realities of the student debt crisis and the effect it is having on college graduates. The William and Mary Educational Review, 6(1), 1-9.

Spencer, C., & Perry, A. L. (2015). Helping students maximize their degree as a competitive tool: The value of experiential learning. The William and Mary Educational Review 4(1), 25-33.

Contact

April Perry
alperry@wcu.edu