Got one word for ya: Plastics.

Sent by andy carvin | 3:05 PM ET | 06-07-2007

I heard the caller talking about not knowing what to do upon college graduation. How about not knowing what to do at the age of 42! When I retired from the Navy, my father asked me what I wanted to do next. I knew that I wanted a change in careers, but I knew better at 22 what I wanted to do than at 42. So like the woman that called in earlier, I, too, took off a year or so to figure out where I wanted to go next.

Sent by Richard Wetzel | 3:24 PM ET | 06-07-2007

Hi,

I was listening to the show in my car and tried to get through on the phone, as my story is very pertinent to this specific topic.

I grew up outside of New York City in Wilton, Connectict, in the area of Fairfield County, CT - a very money hungry area.

Well, I sort of rejected that life from the beginning, that is, the life of getting into a college that sparks the phrase "oh, that's a good school." I sort of, without the classic doing of drugs, etc, was the "black sheep" as I did my own thing from the beginning.

Well, my older brother and younger sister both went to "name schools" and now they are horribly reliant on my mom for money, housing, even food. My brother is in law school just because that was, in his mind, "the next thing to do."

My sister also went to a "name" school, was a sorority member, etc, and has no idea what she is going to do now.

Both of them are in terrible debt, especially my brother with law school.

Well, after traveling around the west and working random jobs, I eventually went to a 500-person environmental liberal arts school thinking I was going to major in Outdoor Education. I eventaully got my undergrad degree frmo the school in journalism and now a small town journalist with a great small home in the mountains of Northern Arizona.

I am building my first sail boat at the age of 24 and love my life, my girlfriend, and my dog. I have gardens in my backyard that my girlfriend planted and maintains.

We have a great life. My brother and sister who went to "name schools" have no idea what they are going to do because they've been living in a horrible bubble their entire lives and are in terrible debt and still relying on my mom - formerly relying on my dad who was a NYC attorney who died of cancer at 53 (in my opinion, attributed to his "keeping up with the jones'" lifestyle that I witnessed in my youth).

I want my brother and sister to learn how to do something for themselves and how to follow their own path. I have much more to say, but am now at work, in my office: I am a small-town reporter and have written freelance articles on everything from backcountry skiing to interviewing the founder of Jackson Hole Mountain Guides. I have made a lot of money doing these things.

Again, my life is great, all because I did something different. I hear stories from my sister about people we grew up with who went to the name school and now live in NYC, but their parents still pay their rent! Amazing! Their lifestyles (which they thought would lead to comfort) are writing checks they STILL can't cash.

Thanks

Sent by Will Waterman | 3:39 PM ET | 06-07-2007

I hear callers talking about dealing with accumulated debt and finding themselves after their college graduations. The best advice that I received was actually after my high school graduation and it was from my father, a high school teacher. All I knew at that point was that I didn't know what I wanted to do and that I didn't want to waste thousands of dollars trying to figure it out. He advised me to attend community college and take classes on anything and everything that looked interesting. He said that eventually something would stand out among others and that I could choose that as a major. I took those years between high school and attending a university to travel, take classes becuase they were intersting, not required, and "find myself" (for $12 a unit). Eventually decided to major in anthropology and now I am working on earning a teaching credential so that I can teach in Oakland's public schools.

Sent by Rosanna Kaser | 3:40 PM ET | 06-07-2007

Personally, I could have used all the advice before college rather than after... I ended up needing 10 years of "real life" before going back to school and even then ended up with a degree that was more convenient than interesting. That's life, eh?

If I had to give advice about life after school, I'd expand on the Conan O'Brien advice mentioned during the show. Like Conan said, people should be encouraged to make (and learn from) mistakes, but they also need to recognize when they've made those mistakes and own up to them. It's definitely not the easiest thing to do, but how can we ever better ourselves if we don't admit that there's somethin' to improve?

Sent by Justin Stanley | 3:47 PM ET | 06-07-2007

For those of you interested in the Barbara Ehrenreich speech but too lazy to Google it, she has the text on her blog:

http://ehrenreich.blogs.com/barbaras_blog/2007/05/the_apocalypse_.html

Enjoy!

Sent by Justin Stanley | 3:53 PM ET | 06-07-2007

The best advice I heard at a recent college graduation, offered by the head of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), reminded graduates to first and foremost be of service to their world- if not just their community. This comment especially resonated with me because of the choice I made to pass-up a lucrative job prospect for that of a volunteer project in the field of marine biotechnology. On the evening of my graduation, my grandfather gave me golden piece of advice in choosing a new direction in life- "just go get experience!"
Even if the ideal job that you dream about doesn't match that which you are currently working in, put your attention on gaining the general skills, knowledge, or experiences that often go overlooked in the less-than-glamorous positions. More than likely, simple pieces of knowledge like how to put out a workplace fire or perform CPR are skills that will be helpful for you in that "perfect job", if not just in your own personal life. Although it is seems idiotic to forgo a stable, money-making position right out of college, when friends of mine describe to me the dreaded reality that is their florescent lit cubicle, I am hesitant to tell them that I went snorkeling this morning and collected marine animals that may very well hold the secret ingredients for curing Alzheimer's.
Although I wasn't paid a salary to begin with, the project I volunteered on has now received word of financial support and has landed me with an offer to not only get paid, but also possibly have my masters paid for because of the projects roots being in a University research setting. When recent college graduates experience the wonderful feeling that selfless service brings to ones heart, the feeling alone is enough to dissolve most all self-doubt about an initial job he or she has taken-and often times, that service is rewarded on an even greater scale that can be measured in happiness, money, and even a suntan.
Thanks,
Jordan (tried to call in)

Sent by Jordan Santoni | 5:47 PM ET | 06-07-2007

I give this advice to all new grads I come across. If you work for a large company you will usually have about 6% put into your retirement fund automatically. I suggest putting another 12% into a deferred compensation program. Adjusting to this income level is not hard after being a starving student. This is triple savings. You can work and save for 10 years instead of 30 to get your retirment fully funded. I quit my job after 14 years and am now raising my 3 children with the knowledge that my retirment will be worth more than my husbands when he retires at 65. If you want to keep working that is fine but securring your retirement in 10 years allows you to quit, change careers, travel, do volunteer work, raise children, get laid off, or sick while still feeling secure in your old age.

Sent by Nia Hartman | 6:33 PM ET | 06-07-2007

Harry Reasoner, then anchor of ABC news, spoke at the high school graduation of his daughter, Beth, at School of the Holy Child in Rye, New York. It was June of 1968, and he had just flown in from covering Robert Kennedy's campaign in California where Kennedy was shot by Sirhan - Sirhan. Reasoner put aside his planned speech. I have no idea what he said, but I remember the message in there. It was this: "Pay attention. Big things are happening in the world. It's important to pay attention." I've been to many graduations since then, but that was the only message that stuck. I've tried to live up to it, and instill it in my children and students.

Sent by Margie Shepherd | 9:48 PM ET | 06-07-2007

One of the best bits of advice I received was from a professor who was telling my class the importance of saving towards your retirement from your very first pay check. He said "Live like no one else will live now, so you can live like no one else can later".

Sent by Kimberley | 8:22 PM ET | 06-08-2007