This week marks my Spring Break of my senior year of college, so unless I have the money to go to grad school next year (I don’t yet), this is the last “school break” I’m going to have in a long time. Maybe even forever. With the copious amount of essays and reading assignments I’ve been slaving on lately, I now realize that my post-grad life looms ahead. It feels so scary thinking about it, let alone talking about it. I can’t deny that I’m immensely excited for my graduation ceremony, though. Nothing feels more incredible than wearing your cap and gown and hearing your name called out before you walk the stage. Of course, what matters most is what we will do after we receive our diplomas. Many of us aren’t sure yet.
Post-grad life will become an open road for us, one where we have to decide which career paths truly fit our capabilities and interests. No one will tell you what to do or where to go anymore. I’m pretty sure you’ve been told this at some point before you entered college, but let’s be honest—we’ll finally encounter the real world after we graduate college. We can only dream that our Bachelor Degrees are one way tickets to our dream jobs, grad school, or even a new apartment or house. This was my notion of college when I still practiced cursive and played freeze tag. But we all know the post-grad life doesn’t work that way. I worry how job positions today are so competitive, at times to the point where they’re more competitive than getting into UC Berkeley. Careers have high expectations for us college students, and we can only do so much.
The question “What are you going to do after you graduate?” isn’t the easiest for me to answer anymore. When people (too many of them already) ask me that, I get uncomfortable, to tell you the truth. Maybe a bit stressed out too. My dream since high school is to become a screenwriter, but with the high demand of the film industry alone, I realize I don’t have the capability for that career yet. As of now, I, along with so many other grads, just have to get a job to (anything) to pay back student loans. It’s not going to be easy. I’ve been aware of this responsibility long before my senior year, but with the little experience I have, I’m not even sure how to get there. Even a dead-set plan won’t help as much as I want it to. It’s like I have to trace my future in a maze—I’m forced to decide on a direction and there’s no going back. That’s what my life feels like—for now at least.
Being in school for the past 16 years, it’s going to be really weird not taking any classes next fall. I won’t be sitting in a classroom and hearing my fellow English majors articulate their well-thought-out opinions on “A Modest Proposal” (which I still hate) or any dense reading we’re assigned. I won’t be pulling an all-nighter to write papers or study for tests anymore. My friends and I will head toward different paths, and keeping up with them is going to be harder than ever. After we’re done with school, we all have to start from scratch. I bow down to you if jobs have hired you or grad schools have already welcomed you into their programs. You already have your shit together, and people need not to make fun of you for not doing anything with your degree.
For those feeling the same as me, stay put, you guys. Let’s focus on the present and finish strong. Keep working hard in your classes! Whether what you learn will actually apply to jobs or not, your diligence will pay off anywhere. Hang out with your friends and roommates and maintain a good network—college friendships last a lifetime. If you can, get involved with a club or organization and make the most out of your concluding college semester. Don’t let your inhibitions hold you back! Trust yourself and never quit if things don’t go out as planned. We can do anything!
