Kentan News Online

Economy Changes Student Dreams

"What are you doing after graduation?" The question is very familiar to students, especially those who are going to graduate next year. Throughout Japan, the recession is significantly affecting students in their future decisions for several reasons: companies are picky about hiring outstanding people; companies don't hire many new people; and companies need more employees with international abilities.

As of September, the rate of unemployment among second year Kentan students is high -- 50 percent (normally by April, almost all these students should have found jobs). It implies that most companies are very particular about employing outstanding people, such as four-year university graduates, people with some work experiences, and so on.

Therefore, it's becoming more difficult for Kentan students to meet their chosen company's prerequisites. One of the students who has been refused by several companies and is still looking for a job says, "I feel like a beggar knocking on one door after another for some food." She continues, "I'm almost starved to death but should keep doing it until someone opens their door for me."

Furthermore, more than 10 percent of students didn't respond to the questionnaire used to research this story. This may indicate that they are completely at a loss about what to do in their future.

Looking at the job placement board on campus, we see very few job recruitments advertised and these numbers are even fewer than last year. Many students indicate that they are pessimistic about their future. the students are eager to work, however, they feel that the choice of job offers is limited or uninteresting.

For the same reason, there is an increase compared to last year in students who are going to transfer to a four-year university. Even though they aren't interested in any particular course, they choose to study a few more years in hopes that there will be more job offers after they graduate.

Meanwhile, some students are aggressively determined to go abroad after graduating from the college. This reflects that the worse the recession gets, the more companies are encouraged to become more internationalized. As a result, more students are going abroad to become better prepared for the job market.

In conclusion, the recession dictates the ways in which students decide their future path. Unfortunately, the rate of employment at the Kentan is less than 25 percent for the time being. The other three fourths seem to be either struggling with their lack of choices caused by the recession or are distancing themselves from the problem. Students hopes and dreams do not appear to be the issue, instead the matter is how they will survive in society.

Students Feel Danger

Student safety is a problem everywhere in Japan. Students in big cities as well as small towns experience various problems. Our school is no exception, and a majority of students don't feel completely safe in the area around the campus. We will examine the safety of Kentan students by focussing on the road to Ogata Station, strange cars, and prank phone calls.

The Long and Dark Road
Most students feel that the street from the Kentan to Ogata Station is dangerous. They must walk alone on this long road in both the day and night. To either side is nothing but rice fields; street lights are few and far between.

Students want a convenience store along the street and a bus from the Kentan to the station. At least they demand more street lights and police patrols. However, there is a plan to decrease, not increase, the number of policemen in Ogata, so that there will be more patrols seems unlikely.

Strange Cars, Stranger Men
Some second-year students report meeting "strange cars." These cases involved being called from a car, being honked at, being followed by a car, and being offered money from a car. The types of cars mentioned were a red sports car, a black Cima, and a Mercedes Bentz. It is important to avoid walking alone. If necessary, running or calling for help may discourage any attack.

"Hello?!"
Many students have received prank phone calls. These can be particularly terrifying for young women living alone. Most of these cases are of where the caller does not speak -- mugon denwa. On the other hand, some students have received odd calls, like someone doing an imitation of Shinichi Mori or asking a student about her P.E. class. Prank calls really irritate students. It is best to ignore or resist such calls yourself, as the police will do nothing, even if violence were threatened.

Sometimes prank callers dial at random, and it's hard to avoid such an attack. But sometimes students are called by people who have received their telephone number somehow. Even a co-worker can become a telephone stalker. Therefore students should be very careful about giving their telephone number.

Thus, like at every university in Japan, there are various safety concerns for Kentan students. Until more is done to address these, students are left responsible for their own safety.

Part-Time Jobs, Full-Time Value

Both students who live alone and those who live with their family, and even those who receive generous allowances, feel it is very hard to live on only a monthly allowance from parents. Because college students require money for various reasons, students often get part-time jobs.

About half of Kentan students have a part-time job now. Students have various jobs. For example, waitress, private tutor, sales clerk, kamaboko factory worker, and so on. Some have had two to five jobs previously.

Almost all students started working to make money. Students who start working to hunt for a boyfriend or to experience society are only10 and 20 percent respectively. On the other hand, the reason they quit their part-time jobs is because they are too hard for them. In other cases, students loose their jobs because their shops close down, their salaries were too low, and they have bad relations with other workers.

Students who have a part-time job now earn about 40,000 to 70,000 yen per month. They spend their salary mainly for clothes and entertainment. Some students are saving the money for the future. And students who live alone must spend money for living expenses.

Most students get not only money, but friends from the job. When they started their jobs, they simply wanted some money. However, they seem to make friends in the place of work. This is because almost all the workers are of similar ages, and they share the same feelings about their jobs, so it's easy to make friends. And some students make boyfriends, too.

Students who enjoy their jobs do so because they have good co-workers. This seems to be more important than salary for job satisfaction.

We found out many things about students are interested in their jobs. College students are very rich; students receive allowances from their parents and can spend their part-time salaries for their own ends. Nevertheless, few students are satisfied with their money situation.

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