Aggies,
I feel like A&M has let me down. I originally applied at A&M for computer science before even knowing what ETAM was. It is one of those things you don't really learn about till you're already in it. Never heard of it, even when speaking with advisors before I applied to A&M. Long story short I fell short of the 3.5 GPA requirement. I had a 3.2 my freshman year. So I didn't get my first choice, also didn't get my second nor third. The only options they offered me were electrical engineering and electronic systems engineering technology. I ended up choosing ESET since it sounded the most like computer science. This is when Covid struck and changed everything.
Classes were all online. We had 5x more homework since they expected us to have more free time. I started failing my classes because I was alone, lost, and in a major that I didn't even want. I was doing everything I could to learn, but it is hard for me to just learn from my computer. I was already a year in and I felt robbed. Decided to switch majors after failing some of my classes and getting honor coded. Ended up being in the transition program for a year after that, taking classes that I would need for the new major that I wanted. I originally wanted to go for economics but then decided to go for accounting. None of the advisors I had at A&M ever helped me. They expected me to do everything on my own, which I did. The only good advisor I had was this one really nice older lady in the transition program. The rest of them just told me stuff I already knew, didn't help me with what I needed, and most were just rude and talked down on me. By the time I became eligible to switch majors I was already over their 60 credit hour cutoff. What was the point of taking classes to become eligible for a major change if it was just going to lock me out of my options? One of the only majors left that sounded interesting to me was university studies business, which at that time was still in Mays. I could get a business degree and get two minors with it? Sounded amazing to me.
Fast forward a bit more, most of the classes I had taken for this major were online. The videos were prerecorded and there were almost a thousand students in each class. I had a finance class that was completely online. No lectures. No videos. Just an online textbook we had to buy along with 3 other discussion sites which we also had to buy. I taught myself finance from a book. That should say something. I ended up going for an economics minor and a philosophy minor. Everything was going well until I had Margaret Ray for an economics class. Do not take her if you don't have to.
Fast forward to graduation. I'm one semester away and A&M decides to take my major out of Mays and discontinue the degree. I was the last graduating class in that major. Every semester before the degree had read Mays. Mine read University Studies. Now I am 4 months out of graduation still looking for a job. Most jobs require experience already, which I understand for senior level positions, but not entry level. I apply for every job I come across. I've used AggieNetwork, Indeed, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter. I've even applied to companies directly through their careers page. I must be well over +1000 applications by now. Before you say anything, yes I've reworked my resume multiple times. I've met with different professionals and hiring managers to make my resume as good as it can be. I've gotten more responses since then, but still no bites. I've gotten quite a few different interviews. The only people that seem like they want me are part of pyramid schemes and MLMs. I've only gotten offers for sales positions, most of which are 100% commission based selling ****ty products and services. I decided to take a step back and start lower. I applied to a few different starting positions at HEB. You know the jobs that kids in high school get. I got rejected from all of them. I can't even get a stocking position at HEB. I am not going to work a sales position or anything under $18/hour because I wouldn't even be able to pay rent at that point.
I am just at a loss for words. I feel like A&M screwed me over. I spent $100+ grand on a piece of paper that didn't give me anything in return. I learned a lot in college, but I don't credit it to the university. I've had good professors and bad professors, and don't get me wrong there are a lot of terrible ones. But there are also a few really great ones, and they made it all worth it. Now that I am graduated I am living back home with my grandparents. They're pushing me to find a job and move out but I literally can't do anything else except go back to school, which even then doesn't promise a job. I'm fine with starting at the bottom and working my way up. I love learning, and the best education is experience. I just need somewhere to start. I need someone who is willing to take a chance, but it seems like everyone only wants the best. Having a degree only says you showed up somewhere every day for the past 4 years. What ever happened to companies training new employees? Now everyone expects you to have a masters degree at least with 5+ years of super industry specific experience. I just don't know what to do anymore. If anyone could offer advice I'd greatly appreciate it.
I feel like A&M has let me down. I originally applied at A&M for computer science before even knowing what ETAM was. It is one of those things you don't really learn about till you're already in it. Never heard of it, even when speaking with advisors before I applied to A&M. Long story short I fell short of the 3.5 GPA requirement. I had a 3.2 my freshman year. So I didn't get my first choice, also didn't get my second nor third. The only options they offered me were electrical engineering and electronic systems engineering technology. I ended up choosing ESET since it sounded the most like computer science. This is when Covid struck and changed everything.
Classes were all online. We had 5x more homework since they expected us to have more free time. I started failing my classes because I was alone, lost, and in a major that I didn't even want. I was doing everything I could to learn, but it is hard for me to just learn from my computer. I was already a year in and I felt robbed. Decided to switch majors after failing some of my classes and getting honor coded. Ended up being in the transition program for a year after that, taking classes that I would need for the new major that I wanted. I originally wanted to go for economics but then decided to go for accounting. None of the advisors I had at A&M ever helped me. They expected me to do everything on my own, which I did. The only good advisor I had was this one really nice older lady in the transition program. The rest of them just told me stuff I already knew, didn't help me with what I needed, and most were just rude and talked down on me. By the time I became eligible to switch majors I was already over their 60 credit hour cutoff. What was the point of taking classes to become eligible for a major change if it was just going to lock me out of my options? One of the only majors left that sounded interesting to me was university studies business, which at that time was still in Mays. I could get a business degree and get two minors with it? Sounded amazing to me.
Fast forward a bit more, most of the classes I had taken for this major were online. The videos were prerecorded and there were almost a thousand students in each class. I had a finance class that was completely online. No lectures. No videos. Just an online textbook we had to buy along with 3 other discussion sites which we also had to buy. I taught myself finance from a book. That should say something. I ended up going for an economics minor and a philosophy minor. Everything was going well until I had Margaret Ray for an economics class. Do not take her if you don't have to.
Fast forward to graduation. I'm one semester away and A&M decides to take my major out of Mays and discontinue the degree. I was the last graduating class in that major. Every semester before the degree had read Mays. Mine read University Studies. Now I am 4 months out of graduation still looking for a job. Most jobs require experience already, which I understand for senior level positions, but not entry level. I apply for every job I come across. I've used AggieNetwork, Indeed, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter. I've even applied to companies directly through their careers page. I must be well over +1000 applications by now. Before you say anything, yes I've reworked my resume multiple times. I've met with different professionals and hiring managers to make my resume as good as it can be. I've gotten more responses since then, but still no bites. I've gotten quite a few different interviews. The only people that seem like they want me are part of pyramid schemes and MLMs. I've only gotten offers for sales positions, most of which are 100% commission based selling ****ty products and services. I decided to take a step back and start lower. I applied to a few different starting positions at HEB. You know the jobs that kids in high school get. I got rejected from all of them. I can't even get a stocking position at HEB. I am not going to work a sales position or anything under $18/hour because I wouldn't even be able to pay rent at that point.
I am just at a loss for words. I feel like A&M screwed me over. I spent $100+ grand on a piece of paper that didn't give me anything in return. I learned a lot in college, but I don't credit it to the university. I've had good professors and bad professors, and don't get me wrong there are a lot of terrible ones. But there are also a few really great ones, and they made it all worth it. Now that I am graduated I am living back home with my grandparents. They're pushing me to find a job and move out but I literally can't do anything else except go back to school, which even then doesn't promise a job. I'm fine with starting at the bottom and working my way up. I love learning, and the best education is experience. I just need somewhere to start. I need someone who is willing to take a chance, but it seems like everyone only wants the best. Having a degree only says you showed up somewhere every day for the past 4 years. What ever happened to companies training new employees? Now everyone expects you to have a masters degree at least with 5+ years of super industry specific experience. I just don't know what to do anymore. If anyone could offer advice I'd greatly appreciate it.
