I graduate in less than a year. Though I try not to think about this too much—how has my time in college gone by so fast? —I realize that what I’ve considered my future is hastily tumbling into the present.

When I first started college, the most-asked question directed at me was, “What college do you go to?” Now that most people know I’m a senior, the most-asked question is, “What are you doing after college?” Since I’m an English major, most people assume that I want to be a teacher, and are confused when I say that I don’t want to teach. I’ve been in school all my life; I want a different career path.

But what that path is, I don’t know. Since I love editing, I’m considering becoming an editor, either for a magazine, a publisher, or whoever will take me. My long-term goal is to become a freelance writer. However, I know the job market is still struggling to return to its former standing. The advice college graduates have given me is: apply everywhere. One woman even told me that she applied to 150 jobs before she found one. I know that the process will be lengthy, stressful, and challenging, but beneficial in the end.

I still have one more year left. I have one more year to hone my craft of writing, improve my resume, and work on my communication skills. My time in college taught me how to be a better person—one who thinks more critically, acts more responsibly, and talks more decisively. Now, since I'm living in my first apartment, I will learn valuable life skills just in time for my launch into the “real world," as my parents call it.

College years, as the saying goes, are the best years of our lives. I’ve been lucky to study and do what I love for nearly 4 years. I’ve created friendships and experiences that will carry me through the future, and even though I don’t quite know what comes after college, at least I’m prepared.