can’t believe it! My daughter is graduating!” is how my mother usually ends phone conversations with me these days. For what it is worth, I cannot believe that I am graduating either. I alternate between denying and disregarding the signs that I am finishing up with college.

I had my last class yesterday and did not even notice until hours later, when in mid-conversation with a friend, I suddenly shifted my gaze and exclaimed, “I had the last one today!” It seemed anti-climactic to have this sort of delayed realization about the end of my time at Dartmouth.

I remember how in grade school I used to count down the seconds before summer break with the rest of my classmates.

Ten seconds before two o’clock in the afternoon, one of us would notice the time and begin the jubilant chant. We were ready for summer. Now, I am not quite sure if I am ready for post-graduation.

Someone once told me that Dartmouth resembles a resort. Tucked away in the hills of New Hampshire, the campus does have its fair share of tennis courts and water sports.

The college pampers students with interesting speakers and fancy luncheons—the cost of these niceties, I assume, contributes to the $34,458 bill for the current academic year (which comes to about a thousand dollars per week of courses).

A seven-night stay at one Club Med village in the Caribbean costs $1,090 (including airfare from Boston).

From this cost comparison, it seems that a posh vacation and a Dartmouth education share a similar price tag. So who am I to chant “hurrah” upon leaving this academic resort?

I am happy about the cessation of bills flowing from Hanover to my home, but I am certainly not someone with a job lined up, which leads me to my next point: finding a good job is a hard job.

In the ’67 film The Graduate, the main character, Benjamin Braddock receives career advice from a family friend, Mr. McGuire.

“I just want to say one word to you – just one word,” Mr. McGuire tells Ben.

“Yes sir,” the graduate replies.

“Are you listening?” the older man asks.

“Yes I am.”

“Plastics,” Mr. McGuire declares.

“Exactly how do you mean?” Ben inquires.

“There’s a great future in plastics. Think about it,” says Mr. McGuire.

Ben does not do much with this advice; his fears about his future and romantic troubles occupy most of his energies. But for those graduates of the Class of 2002 who feel compelled to act upon Mr. McGuire’s advice, worry not, exciting careers in plastics await those who have the motivation to apply themselves.

A quick search on the Web brought me to Management Recruiters of Prospect Heights, a company that specializes in staffing the Plastics Industry on both a national and international level. For more than 40 years they have been working with many of the top processors in North America.

The Society of the Plastics Industry (the industry’s trade association) also maintains a great Web site, complete with the latest forums on Vinyl formulators and links to the Plastics Learning Network. Numerous companies were represented at the PolySort Virtual Job Fair. There, I came across a job posting seeking a Plastics Resins Sales/Account Manager position in Cleveland, Ohio that would pay $75-85,000 a year—and on top of that, the company included a bonus car. Although I do not have the experience in plastic resin sales that applicants for this particular job must have, come June 9th, I will have the required bachelor’s degree.

I hope that after graduation I will soon find myself on the path toward a stable career that pays me at least what my family paid Dartmouth this year.

Otherwise, I might end up working with plastics of another sort, namely those with ‘Visa’ written on them.

ou choose. You pay $32,000 a year to attend Dartmouth,including a $156 student activity fee, you’d think that’s enough to cover, say, student activities. But if you want to make a box in the woodshop, you’ll have to pay five bucks for the orientation class before you even pick up a tool. Does a show at the Hop sound like a good time? Fine. That’ll be five bucks for you and thirty for your visiting friend.

Thinking about signing out equipment from Dartmouth Outdoor Rentals? You may be left out in the cold. Renting a fleece top for one day will cost you eight dollars. Add to that your tent, sleeping bag and backpack and the not-so-grand total is $35, $54 if you want to camp out for the entire weekend. Kayaking or kegs, backpacking or beer, mountaineering or mungÑit’s often more expensive to enrich yourself than embarrass yourself. Does Dartmouth really want us to abandon our debaucherous ways? While the College tries to discourage us from indulging in drunken revelry, the cost of alternative activities remains beyond the budget of many students.

You don’t have to look far to see the wide range of extracurricular opportunities offered on campusÑand the fees attached to them. Even physical education courses, which are mandatory for graduation, are not included in our already sizeable tuition. For instance, it costs $100 to participate in an introductory rock climbing course. And even when you’ve completed your PE requirements, Dartmouth still finds a way to charge you for your outdoor interests.

Being a Dartmouth Outing Club member affords students many benefits during their undergraduate years. But DOC membership doesn’t cover Ledyard Canoe Club fees or the three-dollar daily cost for climbing in

the Daniels Gym.

Even if you have your own skis, Dartmouth will make you pay to use their facilities. A season pass to the Silver Fox Ski Touring center costs $40, not including equipment. The Dartmouth Skiway charges students $130 for a season pass.

Compare this to another college that prides itself on being "green." Middlebury’s tuition is slightly lower than ours, but over there they don’t seem to be pinching pennies when it comes to student life. As a member of the Middlebury Mountain Club, you pay no rental fees whatsoever. Only when you are late in returning your equipment are you charged money. Middlebury also provides incentives to their students to seek new and inventive ways to enjoy the outdoors. This year, Middlebury purchased top-of-the-line skiing equipment for the newly inaugurated telemarking club which, like all other sports gear, can be borrowed for free. And, unlike at Dartmouth, visiting students aren’t charged additional fees as guests.

If you prefer to spend your free time indoors, the Hopkins Center offers many opportunities to explore your artistic curiosity and creative tendencies. The woodshop, jewelry and pottery studios require a per-term payment of ten dollars for use of all three. If you want, Dartmouth offers the option of a $30 yearly fee – great for those ambitious sophomores, but few others. The real price of making items in the workshops rests in paying for the materials you use. Staff must occasionally remind students about these fees, which often grow to beyond what the shop user might anticipate.

Five dollars will get you admission to most shows at the Hop. Visitors, though pay a heftier price, regardless of whether or not they are undergraduates at another college. How many times have you wanted to see a show with an out-of-town friend, only to find that their ticket would cost five times as much as yours? Some schools take a more progressive approach to lowering the price of attending drama performances and films. Students at the University of Virginia pay $12 out of their tuition and receive 75 "arts dollars" toward performing arts and cinema tickets. According to Robert Chapel, chair of UVA’s Drama Department, attendance at events has tripled since the "arts dollars" program began in ’92. And, by the way, Middlebury doesn’t have I.D. police guarding their concert hall doors; so all students enrolled or visiting pay the same price for shows.

According to the Student Life Initiative, "The quality of the out-of-classroom experience is an essential measure of our success in educating all of our students in the broadest manner possible." Quality is important, but what about cost? As Dartmouth continues to promote participation in wholesome activities over taking part in the Greek system, the College needs to work harder to make these alternative options available to every student. All these activities (as the S.L.I. reminds us) represent the best of what the school has to offer in terms of non-academic pursuits. But then again, while it costs quite a bit to develop your artistic talents or spend a weekend climbing Moosilauke, it’s still free to get drunk.