August 22^nd is the first day of the fall semester at College of Charleston, and like many others I will be one of hundreds in the graduating class of 2018. As a communication major, I have spent a lot of time enrolled in classes dealing with public speaking, writing, and research methods; however, with two remaining classes to fulfill the major requirements, I have absolutely no idea where this knowledge and experience will take me after graduation.

As I sit here writing I am currently working at the Watch Hill Yacht Club in Westerly, Rhode Island. For forty hours a week I teach sailing to various age levels. Sometimes I’ll drive a motor boat around and shout the same advice over and over to eight year olds, and other times I’ll have in depth conversations with teens about racing tactics and the more advanced aspects of sailing. For the past four summers I worked at the Weekapaug Yacht Club, which is also in Westerly, Rhode Island, and yes, I was doing the same thing there, too. It’s not that I don’t enjoy my summer job, but that’s all it is, a summer job. Additionally, the job doesn’t really pertain to my studies in school. I have always seen myself as a writer.

Now, I have friends that have done internships, which is believed to be the first step in the job search. Everyone participates in internships, and it’s supposed to be a plus when applying for real jobs later in life. As of now, I haven’t partaken in an internship. I’ve applied for some; I got into some positions, and denied from other, but I feel as if I am far behind. I have a lot of miscellaneous work experience doing many different things, again, none really relevant to my desired studies. For me, I have always felt, especially in today’s world, that it’s all about whom you know. People always get jobs or positions because they “know” someone. I always found that to be odd, sort of like cheating. Many times people who know someone will attain or reach their goal over those who have worked hard. It just never seemed right to me. I understand that networking is an important life skill, but it just seems like it should be utilized to a certain extent.

With just over a month away from the first day of classes, I can’t help but think where this year will take me. I have one more semester left as the president of my fraternity. In holding this position I have already practiced some skills, but I need more. I need those resume builders like internships to really put me over the top. I think with some of those items I can really put myself out there in the best situation. In the end, it’s my senior year of college. I want to have as much fun as I can, but this final year also presents many opportunities for me in Charleston, opportunities that hopefully I can employ to help me later in my career. With the first day of the semester drawing closer and closer, I can’t help but think of all the moving parts going into senior year. Hopefully my future self will reap the benefits of what I can accomplish before graduation. I suppose only time will tell.