It seems like just yesterday we were starting the school year, eagerly and perhaps too ambitiously planning out our semesters. We spent warm end-of -Summer nights laughing, dreaming, and planning out the last year. Now, suddenly, in a blink of an eye, the nights have turned cold and we are already well into the year’s final chapter. For those of you who are finishing their last semester, graduation and a thousand unanswered questions may be looming. In light of this, you may have already begun stressing. Not only are you being thrust out of your comfort zone, one you have fostered and cultivated for years now, but there is something more than that. You may be stressing because after all this hard work and dedication, you have yet to find a solid plan. You’re left speechless and anxious when asked the question, “so what’s next?” To all those young minds struggling to come up with a plan that inspires them, drives them, and financially secures them, stop for a moment. Take a breath. Listen closely. It is completely okay not to have a solid plan for after graduation. It is more than okay; it is completely normal.
In the world we live in, particularly in the economic climate we live in, there is a lot of pressure to make sure you have done everything you can do to differentiate yourself from the thousands of others who are also applying for jobs. There is pressure to simultaneously have years of experience, a bachelor’s degree, as well as anything else you can shove onto your resume to keep an employer’s focus on you. On top of all that, as Millennials, we have subconsciously been fueled with this idea of following our passions and living our dreams. According to Forbes, a study done by Cassandra Intelligence Group, showed that Millennials are “not looking to fill a slot in a faceless company… They’re looking strategically at opportunities to invest in a place where they can make a difference, preferably a place that itself makes a difference.” You want to invest in yourself as well as the future. The issue with all this is the simple notion that it is overwhelming. You are trying to juggle the harsh job market with what can be argued as even harsher personal aspirations.
Hearing my fellow soon-to-be-graduates speak, there was definitely a pattern that began to form. We were all in a similar position. We have had a plan for so long that now, faced with uncertainty and freedom, we stumble. Other than those who know exactly the career path they want to follow, the doctors and the lawyers of the world, the rest of us are left to rethink what is best for us. After all these years, more schooling may simply not be it. So many of my peers plan to jump into a master’s degree, not because they want to, but simply because they would be able to add another line on their resume. For years, that plan made sense. Until here, in our final year, mentally exhausted, racked with debt, and unsure of any solid career path, reality hits hard. You may not actually know what you want to pursue and that’s okay. Be proud of what you have achieved so far. Stop looking ahead for a moment and focus on the now, you did it. You made it.
Here’s the scary thing no one wants to admit: it’s okay to take time off. Logically, taking time off to find actual answers to your life questions makes sense. But emotionally, well, emotionally that path feels like failure and failure, after everything you’ve tried to do, feels worse than anything. In a world where we feel the constant need to compare ourselves to others, coming to the understanding that you may need a little extra time to catch up and find the path that is truly for you, is sometimes simply unacceptable. But no matter how much your pride hurts, you are only making things worse by jumping into a career, a degree, or a life you simply don’t care for.
The actuality of the situation is simple. There is no real set path you must take in order to have a fulfilling life. There is no set age that, once there, you need to have everything together. Some people find a job right out of the gate and some people don’t. Some people find meaning and purpose in pursuing higher education, and some people don’t. Some people fall into their passion by accident, and some have to work a bit harder to find it. All the scenarios are different but the thing that links them all is that each person has to find their own way. Take a moment and believe in yourself. Believe that when the right path comes along, you’ll know it. Do you really want to jump into another two to four-year program after university just because you heard that it may help you get a job? You do not need to have your life planned out. Honestly, even if you did plan to a T, it most likely wouldn’t turn out that way. Life doesn’t follow instructions. This dream of having your “life together” by a certain age is not guaranteed, don’t chase after something that isn’t real. Instead, take your time. Find your meaning and don’t compare to anyone else. At the end of the day, life is extremely short, don’t waste it chasing after a dream that doesn’t make sense to you. Find your happiness. You can do this.
Good luck!
A fellow Anxious Graduate