As finals approach, the chilly wind makes a croak, students are stressing, and the job market is depressing. While the winter blues always hit college students earlier, this year’s election added an extra layer of unease to the campus atmosphere.
Before the election, the air on campus filled with angst as students voting on issues such as women’s healthcare, immigration and the economy, stood on the line. The results disappointed many as they feared for their democracy.
“I come from a low-income background, and a lot of my education is very dependent on financial aid,” informatics senior Nani Tang said. “I know Trump wants to cut all that off. I think that’s what I was primarily worried about, but also just the state of the U.S.”
This past November, many UT students, including myself, were concerned with doing well on finals, getting a job and the results of the election. As a senior, I have discovered that the outcome of the future lies in the decisions we make. With so much to worry about, it’s hard to feel thankful for anything.
However, even when it feels like our world is crashing down upon us, we must remind ourselves of those we hold close to our hearts and the opportunities that are accessible to us.
Marketing senior Joselyn Lozano said Trump’s hate toward immigrants makes her dread his upcoming presidency.
“I was very disappointed by the (election) results because it affects me, my family and my friends,” Lozano said. “ I know (Trump) has a really big thing against immigrants, and (I’m) a Hispanic. I can’t help but feel a little bit targeted.”
Additionally, Lozano comes from a low-income family. Though Trump promises to help working-class Americans, his last presidency suggests otherwise. This is a looming fear for Lozano, Tang and myself.
“Regardless of what (president) we might have, our lives don’t depend completely on them,” Lozano said. “We can still form communities that can support us. If you need help, there’s a lot of space for any sort of demographic. No matter race, income or consensus, there’s always going to be a community that you can search up and try to get involved in.”
Additionally, as college seniors, many of us face the cutthroat job market. This can be disappointing and make us want to give up, but we must remind ourselves whether or not we get a job does not define our worth.
We’re all doing our best, and that’s good enough.
“For the last year and a half, I’ve been job seeking and internship seeking, and it hasn’t been going very well,” Tang said. “It’s been rejection after rejection after rejection, and it keeps going. At a certain point, it’s kind of demotivating.”
Despite the challenges, it’s important to remind yourself why you wanted a job in the first place and to be thankful for what you possess in the present.
“I want to support my family, so that’s why I wanted the job,” Tang said. “Hustle culture makes it really stressful to where you’re pressured to get an internship or a job, but maybe it’s fine to just take a step back and go back home and spend time with family. My parents are retired, and they’re getting pretty old, so I really want to spend time with them.”
Fahim Imtiaz, an electrical and computer engineering senior, also feels down about the job market. But, instead of dwelling on the unknown, he’s thankful for his job as a teaching assistant.
“I wanted to TA for a couple of semesters now,” Imtiaz said. “I did really bad (in the class), but somehow I got the TA (position). I go to every single recitation session with a smile on my face, thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I really struggled in this class, and right now I’m a TA for this class.’”
Despite the challenges the world throws at you, it’s important to recognize the opportunities and people you already have around you.
Embrace them and give thanks.
Harrison is a journalism senior from Dallas, Texas.
