I’ve been asked what my college graduation plans are since elementary school. I’ve been asked this question by teachers, fellow classmates, and the parents of my peers. Also, I’ve gone to counselors, mostly school counselors, who only want to talk about my future job prospects no matter what I wanted to talk about. I understand that most people aren’t trying to be rude when they inquire about my future, but this question puts unneeded pressure on kids. In fact, this question has become so repetitive that I believe it has lost all meaning. I still can’t get over the fact that teachers pressured me my whole life to be ready for the “typical college experience,” and now I’m attending college during a pandemic. So yes, not everything in life can be planned.
While the question “what are your plans after graduation?” may not seem invasive, sometimes it’s the follow-up questions that are. For example, I’m majoring in creative writing with a minor in women and gender studies. I’ve known that I wanted to major in writing since elementary school, and whenever adults would ask me what my college major was going to be, I’d give them what they perceived as a disappointing answer. Being involved in a writing community for such a long time now, I’ve heard all the stereotypes about studying it. Usually, I’ve found that the people willing to judge someone else’s choice in a major are the people who are frustrated because they aren’t studying what they’re really passionate about.
The follow-up questions I get when I say what my major is are: “why would you want to study something that won’t make you any money?” or “why don’t you pursue study STEM instead, you’re so smart!” First of all, the concept that I should prioritize my happiness based on how much money I should be making is not something I believe in. This is a capitalist concept and a pretty single-minded one. While I would like to find a stable job in the future, I am open-minded enough to know that the job market fluctuates and nothing I can do will change that.
Second, it is not my job to single-handedly hold up the STEM industry for all women. I have nothing but respect for women working in STEM, but I’m not good at science, math, or technology, so it won’t help anyone if I study something I’m not passionate about. Also, just something to think about: being proficient in analytical and scientific professions isn’t the only way to be smart. In fact, I believe that limiting women’s success to only a few specific careers is not what the feminist movement is about. If anything, we should feel accepted in all fields of study!
These are just some of the rabbit holes that the question “what are your plans after graduation?” can create. Maybe instead of pressuring young people with this question, we should use it to start a conversation about all the exciting careers there are to choose from. Another suggestion: let’s wait until high school to start asking this question so that kids have time to figure out what they want to do. We live in a world where people are starting over at the age of fifty with new careers, so what’s the rush?
