With this most recent school year concluding, college and the opportunities it presents appear to be winding down for the majority of graduates. For example, just these past couple of weeks, I saw numerous students finishing their research regarding what that bright ball of light in the sky was; it is confirmed to be the sun, a rare sight in Rochester during the school year, to say the least. But, moving forward, many graduates will be capitalizing on what the University of Rochester calls a “Take Five.” This result has led to a surplus of concerned mothers, worrying about their babies’ futures.
When asking a concerned mother for her thoughts on her baby “taking five,” she responded, “I can’t believe this is where my son is going after four years of higher education. All this time the school has claimed to be ‘preparing him for the future,’ and now any time I ask him what he wants to do, he tells me he is ‘taking five.’ Why is he only referencing the candy bar I am always stuck with after Halloween now? This better not mean he is moving home.”
Another concerned mother also commented on her worries about her daughter “taking five.”
“What changed this past year with [name redacted]? She used to be so focused and had her heart set on medical school. Now any time I ask her about what is next after college, she tells me, ‘I’m ‘taking five.’’ I don’t think asking about her future is too difficult, especially after funding years of education. Why does she need to take five minutes every single time I ask?”
Yet another mother, who preferred to remain anonymous, had one question which no one seemed to answer, “What is my baby boy ‘taking five’ of? I didn’t raise a thief.”
With ongoing misunderstandings about the Rochester definition of “Take Five,” more and more mothers and fathers have growing worries, the most common being whether or not graduates will be moving back home. Hopefully this information asymmetry will be clarified in the near future.
Kuhrt is a member of the class of 2017.
