So, you graduated with a Bachelors in something or another. Now what? What’s the new 5-year plan? Oh, you’re like me and didn’t land a fancy full-time job somewhere? That’s OK! Here comes the hard part, though. What are we going to do? Well I don’t know about you all, but I’m going to embrace the unknown.
As the girl who always had a plan until she suddenly didn’t, I can speak from experience that it’s not only hard to accept, but it’s terrifying to march ahead into the unfamiliar. From the time I was a little girl, all the way up to my college years, I always was able to plan out major aspects of my life. I had it nailed down perfect. During my senior year at S&T life decided to happen, huge changes were happening, and I just so happened to find myself floundering. Did I even really know what I wanted to do when I grew up? Had I majored in the right subject for me? Where was life taking me? If most of the people my age were employed full-time, getting married or going off on adventures, was I really doing it right? My plans weren’t working out after all.
I threw the plan away and made a new one. Then I made another new one. And another. Then I realized something vital. It doesn’t matter. I’m 21 years old, have plenty of life ahead of me, and it’s impossible to plan it all. Sure, I came up with a general idea of what to do for the year, but I’m also okay with my life not being determined by a planner. Instead of feeling disappointed in myself for graduating without what others have, I’m choosing to feel proud that I made it this far to begin with. They don’t tell you this back in elementary school, but I’ll let you all in on the secret: life’s a bitch and college isn’t a fail-safe for finding your niche.
For those who are like me, take a step back and breathe. Go work some lame job—heck—work more than one lame job. Go volunteer and gain some perspective to what you’re considering to be one of the hardest times in your life. Go travel, even if it is only a mere city or two away from you. Go try something crazy that you’ve never done before. Go be alone and figure yourself out, figure out what you want. Go do something, anything, and make it count. Leave the voices that say you can’t or need to be doing something else behind. Just because there is the preferred path for some, doesn’t mean that’s the perfect path for you.
Ultimately, do this one thing… Be proud of who you are and what you’re doing for yourself, not ashamed of how others see you. This is your life. Even though it might not be going according to plan, let yourself find your own way. In the end you’ll know it’s what you wanted, and that’s all that will matter.
