If I had a quarter for every time someone asked me “What are you doing after graduation?” I could afford that luxury apartment I’ve been eyeing. At this point, I’ve come up with so many answers, I don’t know which one is the truth: “I’m thinking about grad school,” “I’m looking for internships,” “I’m staying in Cleveland,” and others I probably can’t remember. The other day I responded with, “I’m keeping my options open,” which is precisely and exactly what I plan to do.
The only plan I have for after graduation is getting dinner with my family. Other than that, nothing is set in stone, and I’m ok with that. I’m actually pretty excited. I have absolutely no idea where I’m going to be one year from now. For some, that’s outrageously terrifying. For me, that’s another challenge I’m eager to begin.
For starters, I don’t know where I’m going to live. I know I want to stay in Cleveland, but I’m currently looking at dozens of apartments all over the area. That doesn’t terrify me in the least. If my number one option doesn’t work out, that’s ok. I’m just excited to live with a roommate other than my parents. I know I have it easy. My home won’t be far from where I’ll end up, but still. Moving out is a huge step into adulthood, and even though the shoes are new, I’ll break into them eventually.
Just so people don’t think I’m some sort of spoiled rich college grad who’s too good for work, I say I won’t mind working a couple part time jobs, if even just to pay rent. I’ve always worked at least two or these jobs simultaneously, so only working one job all day seems unusual anyway. In the next few months, I’m not really looking for a job that will turn into a career. I’m perfectly fine with the idea of working at Starbucks or a library or something like that. What’s with the pressure of finding a job with my degree the second I graduate? Which leads me to my next point.
Growing up, I don’t think I ever had a career goal in mind. I didn’t become an English major because I knew it would get me a job in the field I want. I chose English because it’s such an incredibly versatile degree, and the skills I’ve learned as an English major will help me in more than one area. In college, I didn’t put all my eggs in one dream job basket. Because of that, I could explore new options and open my mind to new ideas I might not have thought of before. Now, pretty much any and all opportunities I will consider, instead of ignoring them for one goal.
I’m ready for whatever life throws at me. I find that extremely exciting. I have few plans for the near future, and while some disapprove, I’ve never been more ready to see what happens next. The world is my oyster, right? The stress and pressure of college are crazy for some grads, and I get that. If we don’t end up where we’re supposed to, we shouldn’t freak out. I mean, we just graduated. We have our whole lives to find out why we were put on this earth. For now, cheers to us for making it through papers, exams, projects, and late nights. If we made it through that the last four years, we can do anything.