I came to college with little idea about what I wanted to do for my career, for my life. All I knew was my personal interests, which I ended up majoring in. History and Creative Writing. The number of questions I've gotten about my decision is almost endless, but they really only boil down to one: What are you going to do with a degree like that?
I'm a strong advocate for studying what interests you and following your goals and dreams, even if they aren't "traditional." I don't want to spend any more of my foreseeable future in school, and I don't want to get into a "stable career job" right away.
I take pride in what some call an uncertain future and career, one that is bringing back to my hometown after four (long) years at college. There is the perspective that I'm wasting these years by not seeking out an internship or job that will immediately and directly help me advance in a career, but that is not my perspective.
Taking out the simple, yet inarguable, statement that it is my life to live as I choose, there are other reasons why I am moving back home.
I spent 18 out of my 22 years living in that town. It is the place that I call home, regardless of where I live or any other allegiances I have. Sure, I call Ann Arbor my home while I live here, but that's for clarity reasons, not because I feel like I belong here. My family is back home, and while I know that moving away does not mean we are not there for each other, I want to be around them. Simple as it is, I love my family, and they are my rock.
And, my friends are back home. Sure, I've made friends while away at college, but the bonds I've made through my childhood, and the dramas of high school, are deep friendships that I want to keep.
College is great in that you learn a lot and in a short amount of time. Regardless of what you study, it prepares you for life. I'm glad for that and I'm thankful for my years in the classroom, but as graduation comes, I'm ready to take a step back.
I don't mean a step back necessarily in striving for my goals or using what I've learned, but I do want to settle into a place of familiarity while I juggle this new stage of my life. While my plans are comparatively short-sighted to some of my fellow classmates, I don't think any less of them. At least I am learning not to.
I've chosen a life of uncertainty when it comes to careers and such, but I can further my skills while working a job outside of what I studied. I don't believe that college, and at least four years of college for a degree, should mean you are limited to certain areas of interest. Nor does it cement you on a structured career path for all graduates.
Compared to my academic studies, the next couple years of my life will feel easier (I hope) and I'm looking forward to spending them surrounded by family and friends in a place that I know. I will take pride in my accomplishments and what possibilities and opportunities await me, anywhere I choose to live.
