This time next year I'll anxiously be awaiting my graduation.  Just the thought of the real world makes me break out in hives and hyperventilate a little.  We go to college to prepare for the real world, but how prepared are we when unchained from our desks and allowed to roam free? Perhaps the amount of preparation any one person receives depends completely on that person's efforts; maybe college isn't the training ground we were hoping for.

I've joined organizations, clubs, volunteered, sat in the front row, compulsively taken notes, and attended office hours. However, despite my efforts to be prepared, I still don't have a clue.

However, despite my efforts to be prepared, I still don't have a clue.Perhaps if college was more like a testing ground without penalty, students could feel ready for the job market. I know that some classes do have a lot of "field" work, but from my experiences most classes are more about taking tests on a subject instead of actually putting the knowledge being taught to use.  For example, in Accounting, instead of taking a test about balance sheet components, why not make students find a business and create a balance sheet for them or do its taxes or something. 

I do applaud my Media Sales class on preparing students for real jobs.  In this class your grade is dependent upon trying to make media sales to businesses.  Students are not punished for not being able to make the sale, but they get to go out and see what being in media sales is really like instead of taking an exam on effective selling strategies.

I'm not being a complete idealist here. I do understand that learning the theoretical side of a subject is important to be completely successful. However, I truly believe that having students take part in activities that could be important components of their future jobs would give students more confidence when they enter the job market. I'm sure employers would be appreciative of this idea as well.