Rethinking Post-Graduation Paths
Chol Alier Dit, a third-year Agricultural Sciences student at the University of Juba, argues that graduates risk stagnation if they retreat to their villages while waiting for salaried work.
Speaking to The Dawn, he described rural life as “comfortable but unchallenging”, warning that routine help from parents can dull urgency and prolong joblessness.
Comfort Zone of Village Life
Alier believes household support keeps returnees in a childhood role, eroding the ambitions their families financed through years of tuition.
He notes that five uneventful years in a village can quietly reset expectations, leaving talented graduates “villagers like them” instead of nationwide competitors.
Urban Spaces Fuel Ambition
Towns, Alier argues, impose the daily costs that keep young professionals ‘thirsty’, pushing them toward small enterprises while they hunt for formal posts.
Seeing classmates secure office roles can spark healthy rivalry and inspire consistent effort, he adds.
Special Case: Agriculture Graduates
The exception, he concedes, is agriculture, where land remains the essential laboratory.
Working plots in a village counts as both practice and employment, potentially even job creation, though capital and inputs still come largely from towns.
Balancing Roots and Prospects
Alier concludes that graduates should keep one foot in urban markets for professional growth, stronger networks and advanced training while respecting their rural heritage.
“Stay where opportunity stretches you,” he said, advising peers to view cities as launchpads rather than escapes.