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The Cost of College

Megan, Mollie, Sarah, Rob, & Ryan

The University of Kentucky is home to many college students. Commons is one of the many places that accepts meal swipes for the mandatory dining plan.

Shown here is Patrick Cunningham, a recent graduate from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in accounting and finance minor. He has spent many hours at the career center and is still struggling to find a job in his field of study.

Terrence Gagala took a less traditional route, picking up somewhat of a trade in school with a culinary degree, and also working towards his degree in management. Terrence is not very concerned about the job market when he graduates because he has made so many connections in his professional network.

The construction on the southern part of University of Kentucky's campus is a shining example of the future of on-campus housing. These dorms are two bedroom suites with a private bath, living area, and come complete with Tempur-Pedic mattresses and granite counter tops.

This is a photo of Champions II, a luxury dorm being built on north campus by Education Realty Trust. The new “premium” dorms will cost students more than the traditional style rooms, but will be more like apartments with separate bedrooms and shared living areas

Commonwealth Stadium is undergoing renovations to upgrade the current facilities and enhance the viewing pleasure of football games, at a price of $65 million being paid by the UK Athletics department.

Proposed Rupp Arena renovations were scheduled to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and although the University would not bear all of that cost alone, they would pick up a portion of that total cost.

Matthaeus Huelse and Brittany Shaver are both Teaching Assistants in the German department. While they are working hard to teach their students, they are also students at the University of Kentucky with a workload that requires a large time commitment.

Matt Draper graduated from the University of Indiana with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. He is currently working at Buffalo Wild Wings as a server and bartender. This year will mark his third anniversary with the restaurant, but he has yet to find a job in his field of study.

Experience is another major factor in getting a job. Chip Oldham, who is pictured here, didn't attend college but had plenty of experience as a mechanic. He is now employed as a head mechanic at UPS in Louisville.

Many successful businesses were started by people that didn't finish college or even go to college. One example is Microsoft, which is shown in the picture. Bill Gates founded Microsoft and didn't finish college.

While college graduates are more likely to find work and earn more than high school graduates, some will end up visiting places like this, the Kentucky Career Center. The career center is a great resource for finding work around Kentucky, but typically these jobs are temporary and low-paying.

The University of Kentucky Career Fair is hosted twice a year, once each semester, and offers current students the opportunity to network with current employers, as well as secure jobs and internships.

The Stuckert Career Center is a place located on the campus of the University of Kentucky. It provides current and past students the opportunity to work with people on improving their resumes, interview skills, finding internships and finding places of permanent employment.

Doctor Nathan Vanderford teaches a class to graduate students about how to find a job after graduating if they struggle to find employment in their intended field. He believes that the jobs are there, but the main problem is that students do not know how to market themselves properly.