As many college seniors can relate to, this year can be a stressful time when it comes to figuring out the next steps and making decisions about graduate schools or potential career paths. It’s hard to not compare yourself to others, especially when they seem to have it all figured out or have established plans for the future. The most common question I get whenever I see friends or family is “what do you plan on doing next year?” My response tends to be “that’s a great question,” to try to get away from the fact that I really don’t know. As a sociology major, there isn’t a clear career path to follow straight out of college due to it being a pretty open-ended major unlike majors that prepare you for a specific career such as nursing, engineering, or accounting.
I have come to terms with the fact that I don’t know exactly what next year will look like for me. I’m happy for those who have a game plan for the upcoming years, but I also know that there are plenty of others just like me who are still trying to figure it all out. My dream is to work in a school setting, whether by being a classroom teacher, a counselor, or even a speech therapist. I want to end up in a profession where I am helping to provide a safe environment for kids to flourish in. All of these occupations will require me to go to graduate school, but for now I would rather get more experience working before committing to a program. The reality is that my perfect job may not be available right away, so I may just need to take a job that will provide me with salary and benefits, even if it doesn’t seem like a good long term fit. There are so many different fields out there, so it is unreasonable to expect everyone to hit the bullseye in perfect careers right away. I have been told time and time again that your twenties are a perfect time to explore different careers and enjoy the freedom of flexibility. However, this flexibility can be somewhat difficult to come to terms with and give rise to strong feelings of uncertainty, especially after having a pretty set end goal in terms of the traditional educational path.
I have always tended to be the person who is constantly looking ahead and worrying about the unknown possibilities of the future. It can be really difficult not to focus on the harder aspects of adulthood, like financial stability, changes in relationships, and other responsibilities. Some of the most helpful advice I’ve received about this (shoutout to my therapist Christy) is that there is no way of knowing how good or bad the future will be, it has as much potential to be amazing as it does awful. Worrying about the bad things that could happen doesn’t accomplish anything in the present, except for creating feelings of anxiety and hopelessness. Now, when I think about the future, I try to think about the endless possibilities I have to be happy and enjoy life. There are so many places I want to travel, people I want to meet, and things I want to experience, all of which cannot happen without moving forward. I wish all the best to my fellow seniors who know where they are heading, as well as those who are still finding their way!