Graduation season is upon us, and somehow this time around, I am the one graduating. Everyone says it, but it unfortunately is true – it really does feel like just yesterday I was moving into my freshman year dorm room. I was excited for the future and hopeful that my four years of school would lead me exactly to where I wanted to be. Everything felt new in the very best way, and for the first time, I had absolutely no idea what to expect.
For those who decide to attend college, it stands not only as an opportunity for higher education, but also as a chance to explore the world on your own and find a better sense of who you are. Coming into college, I had a vague idea of who I was and who I wanted to become. I knew what I enjoyed, the things I did well in, certain topics I didn’t like, but when asked concretely what I wanted to be when I grew up – I didn’t really have an answer.
I started my freshman year as a Communications major with an undecided concentration, and that was it. My freshman year consisted of a few introductory courses for my major, and mostly general required classes for the school of liberal arts. I was much more focused on getting to know myself in my surroundings than I was on determining my path after my four years.
It wasn’t until the end of my sophomore year that the panic started to set in. Summer internships were far and few between, and I began to question what I really wanted for my future career. Going to school in New York City, it can feel as if value in your career is equivalent to how large of a corporation you are hired at. The big names are deemed the most impressive, even if they come with the cost of your personal life and time.
It quickly became apparent to me that as much as I wanted the “New York City dream,” I wanted my time, interests, and family more. It has taken time, but over the past few years I have been able to understand that what I may have thought was right for me four years ago when I started here might not be the same anymore. My largest piece of advice would be to not let the pressure from those around you force you into a path that you know is not your own. Take the time after graduation, start a job that may not be your dream, but keeps you happy and stable. Whatever it may be, find yourself first, and the career will follow.