The Mid-Degree Crisis

Image courtesy of someecards.com

Three years ago I should have been enrolling in classes for the third year of my undergraduate degree. Instead, I was googling the cost of flights to Australia and reading hostel reviews. Even thinking about choosing classes for the coming year had me panicking. What if the classes didn't help me find a position for my field placement in my fourth year? And what did I even want to do for my placement? Could I see myself doing that as a career? Where the heck was I going with this degree? I was experiencing a major mid-degree crisis.

Defined by Urban Dictionary as the sudden realization that you have absolutely no idea what you want to major in for the next two years of your four year college career, I think any sort of panic about your education and future at any point in your academic career counts as a mid-degree crisis.  The crisis can be caused or influenced by a number of things. My mid-degree crisis was caused by a sudden realization that I really, really disliked editing. A number of classes in editing had only enforced my dislike of the task. This was not a very good realization to have two years into a degree I had entered into with the intention of becoming a professional editor.

Changes in living situations, funding, interests, and the economy can all be factors in a mid-degree crisis. So can pressures from instructors, parents, and peers. And sometimes just the stress of assignments and tests is enough to have you mentally pressing a panic button. Whatever the cause, a mid-degree crisis is scary. When I started to realize I needed to rethink my entire life plan, I was terrified. Now I can admit, as horrible as it seemed at the time, my mid-degree crisis is the best thing that ever happened to me as far as my education and future is concerned. 

I was forced to take a really close look at my goals, priorities, and skills in both the short- and long-term. I quickly realized that I needed to take a break. I needed to get away from the stress of academic life before I could make any serious decisions about my future. So I used all that information I had gathered googling Australia and left the country for eight months. When I returned, I had a clear goal in mind, I had a plan to achieve that goal, and I felt amazing. That goal has evolved since then, but it has still followed a pretty straight trajectory. 

I'll admit I was pretty lucky in that I had the luxury of basically disappearing for eight months without any major repercussions. I hadn't taken out any student loans (yet), had money saved, and my program was set up in such a way that taking a break between year two and three worked really well. No two students experiencing mid-degree crises are going to have the exact same set of circumstances. And while travelling for eight months was the perfect way for me to work through my mid-degree crisis, it is not going to be a solution for everyone. So if you're facing a mid-degree crisis or are worried you may have one in the future, I offer the following advice:

• Speak to an advisor at your school. Their job is to help you out in situations like these. Tell them everything you're worried about. They're better equipped to deal with all the questions you might have about your options, and they might be able to offer some options that you wouldn't consider. And even if you have a decision in mind, they can help get you on the correct path to following that decision through. Once I realized editing was not for me, I spoke to my program advisor. She helped me focus on what other options my program provided me, and she also gave me some much needed encouragement and support. 

• Talk to your instructors. They might not be aware that you're having issues. And a mid-degree crisis is an issue regardless of if it's affecting your marks. Letting your instructors know you're unsure about your future in the program may result in them working with you to make your classes more topical. Or they might offer the advice or encouragement you need at that moment. Some students don't actually make any major changes in response to a mid-degree crisis. They simply need a boost in confidence. It's my experience that most instructors really do have your best interests in mind. 

• Think long and hard about what you want and not what your mom, dad, instructors, partner, or anyone else might want. Yes, choosing not to finish your degree and focusing on yoga, art, or any other number of disciplines not generally taught in a formal educational setting is very difficult, but making that choice might just result in something amazing. 

• Finally, know that there is no right or wrong way to deal with a mid-degree crisis. Nor is it required to ever have a mid-degree crisis. As much as my own experience dealing with panic mid-degree was rewarding for me, I still wouldn't recommend it. I've always been jealous of people who have known what they wanted to be since they were five and probably always will be.

Image courtesy of Threadless Inc. 

Whether you choose to abandon all responsibility and drink your way across the beaches of Oceania or work through the panic and stick with your original degree, the mid-degree crisis does not have to be a horrific ordeal. It may become the catalyst to the change you needed; if you don't believe me, there are other students who have recorded their experiences here and here. And once you're done dealing with your mid-degree crisis, you can get a head-start preparing for that quarter-life crisis that I hear I'm just about to encounter. I sure am glad my mid-degree crisis led me to apply for graduate school! 

Image courtesy of someecards.com

The Importance of Business Cards

The business card is a way of saying hello, remember me, and so much more. Today, it seems like everyone from your kid sister's babysitting business to the ubiquitous "mommy blogger" has his or her own business card. But business cards have a long and varied history that extends long before the term "blog" even existed. Once part of a formal royal visitation in 15th Century China according to this infographic from MOO Inc., a printing company, business cards now have many, many different uses and purposes.

Infographic Courtesy of Moo

But are business cards something you really need as you enter the workforce? It's common knowledge that a well-written resumé and cover letter are essential if you want to get a job. A diverse portfolio certainly doesn't hurt, either. But where do business cards fit in all of this? There has to be a reason they've been in use for hundreds of years, but what purpose do they serve now? And should students, especially, be forking over money for these ephemeral objects that are then going to be given away for free?

What it really comes down to is memorability and branding. A business card acts as a personal ambassador. It makes you look good; it provides your information in a quick, easy-to-access way; and it represents you when you're not there. A business card makes it easy for you, instead of the 50+ other applicants, to be remembered. While it is true a resumé, cover letter, and portfolio do the same thing, none of those objects fit into a pocket or a wallet.

Carrying around copies of your resumé is simply impractical. You really never know when an opportunity will present itself, and business cards allow you to always be prepared. Imagine sitting next to someone on a plane who casually mentions that his or her company has a job opening that is basically your dream job. If you have a business card you can hand to him or her, before it's even read that business card is already doing its job of making you look good. Writing your contact information down on a scrap piece of paper or pulling a crumpled resumé out of a bag just doesn't have the same professional impact.

Image Courtesy of MOO Inc. 

Business cards do more than represent you, though; they also create relationships. It is rare for the offer of a business card not to be reciprocated. All of a sudden, a job interview becomes a networking opportunity. Even if you don't get the job, you know that whoever interviewed you, personally, has your information and he or she felt you were important enough to get his or hers in return. That person you sat next to on a plane? He or she is probably going to offer you a business card in exchange for your own. That dream job is even more of a reality.

The relationships that business cards can help foster are not all professional. Even if the person sitting next to you on a plane doesn't have a job opening at his or her company, you may still want to stay in contact. In Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic Little House on the Prairie book series, business cards are simply "name cards" and are given to friends and potential suitors. Just because the name of the card has changed doesn't mean it can't be used in the same way.

Image Courtesy of The Design Inspiration

Business cards, as their history has proven, are extremely versatile. They don't have to be a standard size or shape. They can be fun, functional, and even truly artistic.  And despite the increasing digitization of so much print material, business cards seem to have found an existence that straddles digital and physical.

Image Courtesy of Juke Box Print

Business cards can now have QR (Quick Response) codes that, when scanned by a smart phone camera, will open a specified website. Most business cards list an email or an email and a website, and some print companies are even looking into NFC (Near Field Communication) enabled business cards that contain a small microchip. When tapped to a smartphone, these cards tell the phone to download information, open a webpage, save a photo, or any number of simple tasks.

QR Code

All these new technologies have essentially ensured the business card's survival as the world becomes more and more digital. Unfortunately, there's no getting around that business cards do cost money, but that doesn't mean there aren't options for those who can't afford to spend a hundred dollars on something they're going to give away. Moo offers a 20% student discount, and VistaPrint will print a run of 25 cards for under 5 dollars. And never overlook the option of printing them yourself. Many stationary supply stores like Staples sell pre-perforated business card printer packs that allow you to print business cards with any standard home printer.