The one question that circulates in every graduating senior’s life is the classic, “So, what’re you doing after graduation?!” Personally, I hate this question. But I think the main reason I hate it is because I know people that love it, the ones that have every second of their post-grad life planned out and can’t wait to start their next chapter.
I, on the other hand, have no freaking clue what I want to do, where I want to live, who I want to marry, how many kids I want to have….Okay, maybe I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. But it comes from a truth—the truth that as a college graduate, we are expected to have our lives all figured out. We are expected to have our dream job offer lined up for us so we can walk across that stage at graduation and straight into our new, perfect, post-grad life. Let me be the first to tell you that that’s bullshit. If that’s your story, then good for you (no seriously, good for you, that’s awesome), but if it’s not, don’t stress.
Society has given us this notion that our next step in life after graduation has to be permanent, that our first job has to be perfect, and we have to stay in it for the rest of our lives. When I say that out loud, it probably sounds ridiculous. But I swear, that’s how most of us feel. Trust me, I know that it’s terrifying. I know that it’s scary not having the next step planned out for us like we have up until this point. But cut yourself some slack, because it’ll all work out. Maybe not at first. Maybe your first job will be shitty, and you’ll hate it. Maybe your first big move to another city, or state, or country will end with you in tears wishing you were home. But sooner or later, if you keep working at it and don’t give up, it’ll work out and you’ll be happy. Because isn’t that all that we’re aiming for after all? Happiness? I know I am.
So I may sound like a really bad fortune cookie or one of those stupid quotes on a classroom wall, but…don’t stress and don’t give up. It’ll all happen the way it’s supposed to.