As students near graduation and search for a job, many are finding graduate school to be a more realistic solution to a slow economy.

There definitely is a slowdown in the economy and a rise in unemployment, said Peter Mattila, professor of economics.

“People who are having a hard time finding a good job may be returning to school to deepen or diversify their knowledge and therefore are increasing their job prospects,” he said.

Some students have secured positions for after graduation from current or past employers.

“It was really easy for me to get a job because I got it through my summer internship,” said Ryan Sauer, senior in agricultural business.

The recession makes it hard to get jobs, and Sauer said he knows a lot of people without jobs.

“There are definitely some concerns from the hiring standpoint” due to the economic recession, said Mike Gaul, director of career placement for the College of Agriculture.

Some companies may have to go shorthanded, said Adam Harder, senior in agronomy.

“I know that it is hard for companies as well, because they can’t afford to hire new people,” he said.

Agriculture isn’t being hit as hard as employment fields such as investments, Gaul said.

“We’re sheltered in the sense that people always need to eat,” he said.

The College of Agriculture has always had high graduate enrollment, but the college could very well see an increase in graduate enrollment, Gaul said.

“Students are beginning to ask themselves `What am I going to do? Why not go back to school?'” he said.

There is no significant change in the number of students who have enrolled in graduate school through May 2001, said Steve Kravinsky, director of career placement for liberal arts and sciences.

Director of ISU Career Planning and Placement Services Beverly Madden said there is a relationship with the current recession and graduate student enrollment.

Usually, between 16 and 18 percent of students enroll in graduate or professional school after graduation from Iowa State, she said. In the 1998-1999 academic year, that percentage was 14.7, and during the 1999-2000 academic year, the percentage rose to 16.4, Madden said.

“The percent continuing education in 1998-99 was low when the employed percent was high,” she said. “There is a shift, but it’s not like everyone is [going back to school].”

Jennifer Graham, senior in theater and performing arts, said she hasn’t found a job.

“I made a personal and professional decision to return to graduate school,” she said.

It’s a bad gamble to wait out the recession, Kravinsky said. It is hard to determine whether the economy will be worse once students are finished with graduate school, he said.

Students may not be as valuable without work experience, said Toni Humpfer, program assistant for education student services.

“I would caution students who are choosing to go to graduate school,” she said.

With the focus on the economy, a lot of students are working harder on the job search itself.

“It wasn’t hard for me to find a job . because I’ve done internships and prepared myself,” Harder said. “It’s all about preparation.”

The recession forces students to be open-minded about their job opportunities, Gaul said. The past five years have been good for placement, and this is a reality check, he said.

“Hopefully it will make students become more aggressive,” Gaul said.