For many of us, these have been the fastest few years of our lives. We find ourselves buying caps and gowns, preparing some final farewells and wondering where all that time could have possibly gone.

In this 2012 Graduation Issue, we look to provide some parting perspectives, advice and information before signing off. Reporters at The Daily Californian examined student debt at UC Berkeley and nationwide as an extremely relevant issue that weighs heavily on many graduates’ minds.

We asked a handful of visible senior leaders to contribute their thoughts on how this campus has shaped their own experience and readiness to take the next steps forward. Renowned professors offered their two cents in reminiscing about their own graduation memories and offering sage suggestions for the future. And, of course, we have a breakdown of some key numbers so you can better acquaint yourself with the this year’s graduating class.

With all of these features, we do not pretend to have all (or really any) of the answers. But we hope you enjoy perusing this content as much as we have enjoyed producing it.

College graduates have always archetypically embodied the uneasy combination of uncertainty and possibility. For the Class of 2012, the story is no different. Yet graduates must brace themselves to navigate this ambiguity of the unknown, equipped with the far from negligible education that this institution and community have provided. The real world is waiting. It’s our turn to answer the call.

-Leslie Toy and Tomer Ovadia
2012 Graduation Issue Editors