During her job search, mathematics senior Trixie Southwood applied to nearly 50 job postings, but only heard back from one. It was the same experience for other graduating seniors she knew, Southwood said.

Before committing to American University for a master’s in data science in the fall, Southwood applied to both graduate programs and jobs as she prepared for post-graduate life. Part of the reason for applying to a master’s program was because of her parents, who both have graduate degrees, but also because of "the state of the world."

Initially, Southwood planned to go into research after graduating from MSU, but "with cuts to research funding, now all those jobs are gone," she said. 

"I'm kind of buying myself more time by going to grad school, so that maybe in two years, the funding is better and I can go into something," Southwood said. 

However, at graduate school, Southwood is unsure if positions as a research assistant will be available due to funding cuts by the federal government, even with her past research experience interning with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science last summer. 

Pursuing data science also gives Southwood the chance to go into finance or economics, but research remains the end goal. 

It’s comforting to have something to look forward to, Southwood said in reference to grad school.

Be that as it may, Southwood continues to stress over her lack of internship for the upcoming summer and fears that opportunities may still be limited after grad school. 

Federal funding cuts have also caused worry for fisheries and wildlife senior Molli Thibodeau when it comes to job placement. 

"It definitely seems like it’s going to be more difficult to find a job, and there's not very many opportunities at all right now," Thibodeau said. 

Currently, Thibodeau has been focused on finding seasonal opportunities while their lease finishes up over the summer. Regardless of duration, Thibodeau has struggled with getting responses from future employers. 

The situation has made Thibodeau nervous as they deal with paying bills and losing "the structure of school," the senior said. 

Graphic design senior Sophie Elrick reassures herself with the thought that she isn’t the only senior going through a similar struggle. 

"I think it's just part of adulthood," Elrick said. "You have to find your footing first."

Elrick transferred to MSU in 2020 with a goal to become a tattoo artist. Five years later, the goal has remained unchanged. After completing a social media and graphic design internship with Wing & Weft Gloves over the summer, Elrick plans to pursue an apprenticeship with a tattoo artist in Ferndale. 

It hasn’t always been easy, though. At various points in college, Elrick was confronted with financial issues and the struggle of pursuing a corporate design job instead of her passion.

"Everyone talks about the money, and then you're like, should I be doing something that's gonna get me more money?" Elrick said. 

Elrick stopped entertaining the idea once she imagined herself in a cubicle. 

"I have this fear of selling my soul to corporate," Elrick said. 

Elrick also said that conversations around the economy have been "more discouraging than encouraging."

"I find it frustrating when people go into it (saying) the economy's bad," Elrick explained. "I feel like when people put their negative opinion into the world, it makes it more stressful going forward. I wish more people would emphasize the positive parts like, 'Oh, you're starting stuff,' instead of, 'It's going to be hard to find a job.'"

Thinking positively has also helped Southwood with managing post-grad worries, as well as listening to those around her. Southwood no longer felt pressure to figure things out immediately once she realized that the adults around her also didn’t have a plan. 

"You just gotta take the opportunities that you can get," Southwood said. "At this point, that's what I try to do, pick the best opportunity that is presented to you."

"I’m just trying to take things as they come."