The Labor Department reported last Friday that the unemployment rate in the U.S. rose to 6.1 percent Friday. Employers across the nation are eliminating jobs for the eighth month in a row, and employees are earning less. 84,000 job losses were reported in August alone, according to The Seattle Times.

This may seem like a dismal future for college juniors and seniors. Many find themselves a little uneasy about the future but most have plans to get themselves through those difficult first few months.

Caroline Simms, 21, is a senior at American University. Although she’s not crazy about the networking scene, she said it does have some value. “I’d rather impress people with my work ethic, not an elevator speech,” she said. “That is exactly why I spend as much time as I can at internships and take classes that are based in practical skills versus theory.”

Simms said she’s not scared about entering the real world. “If anything, I think I’ve slowly been transitioning into it over the past few years,” she said. “Between paying for everything, with some tuition help from my parents, working 30 to 40 hours per week and taking classes, I don’t think I’m going to hit the wall after I get my diploma.”

Simms’ boyfriend, Will Haun, 21, also a senior at American University, will be attending law school in the fall, offsetting potential unemployment.

“I get an extended vacation from ‘the real world,’ as I’ll be heading into law school next fall,” he said. “I have enjoyed the taste of being a young professional in a great city, something I am confident will continue throughout law school and open good professional doors when I graduate from there.”

Minna Morse, career advisor for the American University School of Communication, feels that the school does a good job of offering students the training and opportunities they need to explore the field they’ve chosen.

“We also have students focus on a supplementary or complimentary double-major or minor, to hone job search strategies and skills so they can navigate what can be a very tough market,” Morse said. “We also offer students full access to all of the services of the Career Center for one year following graduation.”

Liz Funk, a senior at Pace University, believes a trend unique to this generation is the rising rate of self-employment. “I knew a lot of young people who can’t find full-time jobs, but who are making ends meet (and then some!) by freelancing, temping, starting their own businesses and being self-employed,” she said. “Although this unemployment rate is disconcerting, I think with a little creativity (and some thick skin), young people can forge their way.”