Someone told me that graduation was only 78 days away and I almost chocked on my bagel. I felt as though I had only just finished my senior thesis and now I had to start really thinking about things like a budget, where did I see myself in five years, and what kind of lifestyle I wanted. While most of us have visited the career center, have a decent resume, and have at least an idea of what makes a good cover letter, the reality of being an adult soon just set in and I realized I have no idea what I'm doing.

Cue dramatic music - in about 78 days myself, along with my classmates and thousands of other students across the nation and across the world will have to decide between the classic dichotomy of job vs career, or in a more metaphorical sense, doing what you love or doing what will get you paid.

Now I am not suggesting it is so simply. All of us would love to jump into the deep end of the pool that is adulthood and get that first job, which launches you into the career of your dreams, but that's not always the case. One must learn how to strike the delicate balance of finding the job you love, are qualified for, and will help you make your student loan payments each month for the next ten to fifteen years of your life. If you're like me, that loan payment is basically a second rent payment and living at home with mom and dad rent free for the next year is starting to look like the most practical option if not the best option. So while many of us would love to start a career right out of undergrad, that may not be possible in the job market that is the reality for us today.

Then there is the select group of students who wish to continue on in their quest of higher education and have applied to grad school. Whether you're getting an MA, MBA, JD, LLM, or some other fancy acronym, that decision comes with many pros and cons as well. Some people will insist you're running away from your student loans, only while making them larger; others will tell you that you need 'real experience' before committing to such a specific degree; others may just laugh at the idea you actually enjoy school and yes, would love to continue studying for the next three to five years of your life.

Finally, there is the group of us that have a degree in something that does not necessarily set them up for what they want to do as a career and makes it hard to get a job they'd like either. I love my liberal arts degree and I believe it has made me an excellent candidate for many jobs requiring skills across the disciplines....that is if I get an interview for one when the job offer states "Marketing, Public Relations, or related fields majors only."

So, while all of this may seem a bit bleak, I do see a sliver of hope. In 78 days, yes the real world begins without the safety net of knowing exactly where you are going. But within that uncertainty lives the possibility of adventures beyond your imagination. Recently I read on Facebook that a friend of mine from home has been accepted into the Peace Corps to work in Mozambique for the next two years and I was inspired and reminded that the best laid plans are never as good as what can happen when we least expect it. So in 78 days, I will not be freaking out about what is to come, but instead ecstatic at the amazing time I've had and positive about what the future holds for me. Regardless if you're going onto grad school, a job that's just a job for now, or are lucky enough to have landed the job of your dreams, remember this - life will pass you by if you let it, so stop to smell the roses, have those belly laughs, and remember that it's all going to work out, one way or another.