Jon Harden

Every SPU senior looks forward to the time when tuition bills cease to arrive in the mail, community lifestyle expectations are no longer binding and exams become a thing of the past.

With less than eight weeks left until graduation, that time is near on the horizon.

When it finally comes down to graduating, there are several logistical steps that must be taken to secure future freedom.

Although much of the necessary planning and paperwork, such as applying for a major and for graduation, must have already been completed before one's senior year, there are still things that seniors should do spring quarter to check on their status before attending June's commencement ceremony.

"One of the really critical things is making sure that they've completed all the requirements," said Debbie Crouch, associate director of academic affairs.

Crouch suggests that seniors do this by running the degree check on the Banner Information System, going over the paper graduation list that they received from their academic counselor at the very beginning of the year, and looking at classes they're currently registered for.

"We put a lot of responsibility on the student to let us know," Crouch said.

If seniors are puzzled by anything, the best thing to do is check in with their faculty advisors and academic counselor. With spring quarter being a busy time of year with only six academic counselors and 2,800 students, the best way to contact one's academic counselor is via email, and they can set up an appointment if needed.

Graduation Checklist -Order your caps and gowns online by tonight, April 13, at midnight. -Register for commencement by Friday, May 27. Information can be found on the SPU homepage under "Highlights," and registration can be done on the Banner Information System. - Attend Career Development Center programs (alumni networking nights, business etiquette dinners, the career lunch, etc.) throughout April. Visit the CDC website (http://www.spu.edu/depts/cdc/) for more information on specific dates and times. - Meet with someone in the Career Development Center for tips on interviewing and the job search process. - Continue exploring graduate school programs and options. - Continue conducting informational interviews of careers and specific companies that you're interested in. Start by meeting alumni in these fields. - Redefine your resume and start the job search. - Although seniors are exempt from CFE requirements during spring quarter, any outstanding CFE requirements from previous quarters must be made up. Check your status on the CFE menu of Banner.

Some seniors have an inkling that they haven't been paying attention, while others are loyally taking all the steps, by the book, according to Crouch.

"We get a lot of seniors who say, 'I just want to check. I've heard horror stories,'" she said.

The longer students wait, the more chance there is that they won't be able to fulfill a requirement. If that's the case, graduation may have to be postponed until next year.

Unfortunately, postponed graduation is a reality that some seniors face. Every spring, letters are sent out to students from the Academic Office, informing those seniors who have a missing class or too low a grade in a major requirement and cannot graduate.

"We hate writing those letters," Crouch admits.

But overall she enjoys working with seniors and said, "Our goal is always to help them through to the end and that degree."

The difference between graduation and commencement should also be noted. "Commencement is not graduation." Crouch defines commencement as the ceremony for graduates in June, and graduation as having completed all the academic requirements for a degree.

Students who are taking last-minute credits and graduating in the summer are allowed to go through Commencement. However, those students are not recognized for honors in the commencement bulletin -- only on the student's diploma.

Seniors must register for commencement on Banner by Friday, May 27. If seniors haven't ordered their cap and gown yet for the ceremony, they must do so by tonight, April 13, at midnight. Information about ordering the cap and gown from Herff-Jones can be found on the SPU website, too.

Once all graduation requirements are finished, career plans become very significant. The Career Development Center offers many programs and resources during the month of April for seniors who are still unsure about finding a job after graduation.

"Job search skills are different than job skills," said Susan Lane, associate director of the Career Development Center (CDC). Whereas job skills like writing, working with computer programs and the like are emphasized in classes, job searching is "not something you do as much in college."

Even if a senior has a career goal in mind, they might not know how to get there. Common questions that seniors ask include, "Where do I start? Are my skills good enough to get me a job?"

"You don't go from a senior at SPU to CEO," Lane sympathized.

The most important thing Lane stresses to students is the value of internships. "If people have done an internship, they're miles ahead of those who haven't done one," she said. Internships help with learning the interview process, give the intern a sense of what their skills are, connect them with contacts and references and provide many more benefits.

Seniors can still look for internships, even if it's too late to do it for credit, because they'll benefit from the practice. The CDC recommends that students look for internships with eRecruiting, an online program that can be found on the CDC's website.

"There's great stuff that employers are posting everyday," Lane said.

She also advises that students talk to people and find out about their own occupational journeys. A great example of students who have tried this are the four grads of "Roadtrip Nation," who will visit SPU on April 19. Not knowing what they wanted to do for a career, these recent grads decided to pack up, travel across the country and interview people from a variety of professions.

The reality of graduation is, according to Lane, that seniors have paid a ton of money for an SPU education, and after graduation, they're on their own to make a living and earn that money back.

"Parents are saying, 'ok, go support yourselves,'" Lane said. "That's a big jump."

She recommends that seniors put together either a short-term or long-term career plan for after graduation. A short-term plan might involve interning or working for a temporary agency in order to check out a career without making a long-term commitment. A long term plan could be to work at an easier job with benefits, such as being a Starbucks barista, while keeping living expenses low and seeking out a long-term career.

In comparison to the job market of recent years, 2005 is looking good for graduates. Employers told the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) last August that they expected to increase the number of graduates hired in the 2004-2005 school year by 13.1 percent.

Whether it's finishing up those long overdue general education requirements or finding a way to make a living and apply to one's major, the numerous tasks surrounding graduation remind busy seniors of the freedom to come, and the responsibility that such freedom entails.

Things that seniors should do before graduation, according to SPU students:

- Spend one last night in the dorms.

- See all the tourist sight and attractions in Seattle that you've never been to: the Space Needle, Seattle Center, the University of Washington and the U-District, Pike's Market, the Ballard Locks, West Seattle, etc.

- Take pictures at Kerry Park and Gasworks Park.

- Eat at Gordito's, Dick's Drive-In and Jai Thai; get a sub sandwich from Elliott Bay Pizza Co., try Bubble Tea and indulge at The Mix.

- Learn how to swing dance.

- Swim in the Puget Sound.

- If you're a girl, go mermaiding.

- Clap in the middle of Martin Square.

- Stop in at the Jones Soda Co. headquarters on Westlake Avenue for free stuff.

- Climb to the top of the Bank of America tower downtown.

- Have a "DTR" down by the canal.

- Scalp scantrons to other students.

- Attempt to win the "Gwinn Challenge" by spending all day in Gwinn Commons (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.)

- Write down memories from your freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years so that you don't forget them as time passes on.

- "Take time for your soul," as Dr. Luke Reinsma would say.

Checklist for Juniors

- Apply for graduation spring of your junior year. The deadline is Sept. 1 for those intending to graduate in the following spring.

- Look at the required classes for your major and minor. All classes must be taken by the summer after commencement, and no grades lower than a C- are accepted.