As I am gearing up for my long-awaited college graduation, I cannot help but find myself worrying about the future and wondering how graduate school and if the job search process will turn out in my favor. I find my friends expressing the same anxieties about postgraduate life in which their unknown paths and plans are driving them insane.
These large amounts of stress completely distracted me from the fact that I finally did it. I’ve nearly arrived at the finish line of my educational experience, and I have not allowed any time for celebration. So, how can we shift this narrative of concern to happiness? How can those of us who are moving on straight to graduate school, already have a full-time job set up, or have a passionate side hustle take that time away from worrying about our futures and our presence in the career world?
The answer is simple. We appreciate and applaud ourselves.
It is not selfish or cocky to acknowledge that the class of 2022 spent the bulk of our college experience in a global pandemic and had to work extremely hard to push past through feelings of isolation and burnout. Those feelings have been so consuming for the past two years that when I picked up my cap and gown last week at my university’s bookstore and the woman eagerly told me “congratulations,” I found myself numb to her celebratory tone despite having waited for this moment for the past four years of my life.
In the age of social media, it’s also not easy to see the highlight reels of everyone else’s life on your feed, which often includes their seemingly perfect postgrad plans. To all of the graduating seniors who are experiencing the same feelings of pressure and doubt due to other people’s plans, my best advice is to chase your own dreams and not watch others live out their dreams through your phone screen. I have learned that your dreams will certainly not be chasing you back anytime soon, and it is all up to you to create the life you desire for yourself.
Immediately rushing from one milestone to the next journey is unhealthy and derives from our current society’s fixation on “hustler culture.” There will be plenty of time to get on track with your career, but first: take a breather, because you deserve to be celebrated.
Finally, I urge all of the seniors reading this to simply take their time and be present with their growth as human beings.
Smile hard when you get that degree. Hug your friends tight when they get theirs. Remember freshman orientation and how much you’ve grown since that frightening day when your parents dropped you off to community bathrooms and wacky roommates. Thank the people who lived three doors down who became your lifelong best friends and got you through the most impossible moments. Pop open a bottle of expensive champagne and heat up some ramen for old time’s sake.
Because, you did the damn thing. Congrats, grad.