Recently, I found myself not knowing what to write for this week’s article because the more I think about it, the more reality, or my reality, strikes me back. So, I decided to write about what has been bugging me these past days, which is thinking about my future decision. Currently, I am a senior in Marine-Science/Biology, graduating in May 2024. I want to pursue a Ph.D. in Entomology. During this semester, other than studying and working, I have had to make time to think about the next steps in my life, especially in terms of graduate school. For this article, I won’t go into details about how to apply to graduate school as a STEM major, but I will write about this in the future. But, I will talk about the emotions related to the process of just thinking about what to do with your life after graduation.
Thinking about the next steps in one’s life is such a big thought and question. You need to think about so many aspects, factors, and things like where you want to go or live or what you want to do. Everyone can agree that this can be overwhelming and a lot, but I realized not everyone talks about it or likes to express how that makes them feel. I think this is because of the fear we have that we might be the only ones going through this. We think and feel like we are the only ones feeling lost, being torn into different directions, thinking of many possibilities, being stressed and anxious, thinking about where we would end up or if we are making the correct decision. But, here is a little dare for you if you are feeling this way or identify with any of this train of thought.
- Go to at least four people ( 2 professors or “ adult adults” and 2 friends).
- Ask:
- Professor: How do they make their choice or know what to do? How did they handle the overwhelmness of thinking about the future? How did they feel?
- Friends: How are they feeling? What is their option(s)? How are they managing it? Do they feel like they know what they are doing?
- Ask:
With the little dare above, I hope you who are reading this, realize that you are not alone in this process. There are people that are going through it, and there are people that have gone through it. It is always useful to hear both sides of the spectrum. Also, I have learned that we can be our own worst enemies by comparing ourselves and assuming everyone has it figured out but you. The way I have learned this is realizing that I do it, as well, and guess what? It completely sucks. For example, I have thought that I am too late to apply to graduate school for the upcoming cycle and deferred just because I am not putting in the amount of time my friends are in doing applications. But I have also realized that we have different responsibilities and schedules, so I should not be hard on myself. As well you should not be either.
As someone who is going through this and has not yet made a final decision, my tips are:
- Please talk to someone about your thoughts and feelings about this big decision.
- Only you can make the final decision, but that does not mean you have to go through it alone and by yourself.
- Take breaks from not thinking about it. Let your mind rest!
- Make a motivational/ supportive playlist!!!
- Music is a big part of my daily life, so having a playlist that helps me feel relaxed or that I am doing well is important. For example, one of my favorite songs is called “My Pace” by Stray Kids, and it talks about not comparing yourself and how we shouldn’t rush and take our time because everyone is different.
- If you think you don’t have enough time, set mini-deadlines for yourself. Here is an example for this upcoming Friday: you are going to look at the place you thought about living in.
- It is okay to say, “I don’t know at the moment,” when someone asks you about your future.
- Take a deep breath!!!! You got this!!