You have finally made it here. Finally, all your hard work paid off. The countless mental breakdowns, consuming multiple amounts of coffee, the procrastination and oh the dreaded “DID I PICK THE RIGHT MAJOR?” is finally coming down to the end.
Or… is it? Do we ever really know when it’s the end? I don’t think we do. And you know what? That is just fine. If we do or don’t continue on with school that is okay and that is what I want you to know. I have no idea if I want to go back and either attend law school or get a masters in ESL. What I do know right this instant is that I want to travel around the world for a bit, move out, and have a great job working with a magazine or start a podcast. Maybe I will get that law degree, who knows? I sure don’t!
Now is the time to continue exploring ourselves outside of the school environment. Join that kickboxing class or sculpting session, start a band with a few friends or write that book you have been forgetting about since you were 18. While we were busy finding ourselves academically in terms of what we wanna be when we grow up, we forgot to find ourselves in general. I forgot that I loved painting at one point and that I’ve been meaning to publish a book of poems for years. I just haven’t had the time because I’ve been so busy with back to back papers and exams. It’s been hard for all of us, but now, now we can run out and be free to do what we want while starting our lives. Take a gap year if you’d like, I know many that did that and went back to school feeling refreshed. It is OK to take a break! There is not a time limit of when you can go back to school. It’ll be here by the time you come back.
Remember that you are your first priority and as you walk down the aisle to reward yourself for your hard work, sit back down and ask yourself “where do I wanna go next? Do I wanna paint today? What hobbies did I like? I should visit some family members or reconnect with some old friends. I did it, now it’s time for a breather.”So take that breather, reward yourself and when the time is ready to either go back or start your career, go for it. You’ll know when the time is right.
Yours truly,
Julitza