You know that time when you will walk across a stage in front of hundreds or thousands of people and receive your diploma and then be thrown into the real world? That time is approaching, and it feels like it is accelerating toward us like a fiery meteor from space. If you are like me — and a large majority of second-semester seniors — you are probably starting to freak out about what comes next for you.
One chapter of your life is about to be forcefully slammed shut and another one immediately cracked opened by an eager reader. You might feel frustrated, nervous that you are not good enough for the job you want, have not even heard back from any jobs or graduate schools yet or just have no idea what you want to do after you graduate. This is perfectly normal — and so are you for feeling this way. These last few months will be a test of whether you will embrace this uncertainty or let it consume you.
The final semester for many seniors is the toughest one by far. We are trying to pass some of our hardest courses yet, while still managing (attempting) to have a social life and to cross the boxes off our bucket lists. Why do so many people insist on putting so much pressure on us to know exactly what we plan to do for our life for the next five years if we are still just trying to graduate? Yes, that is probably you — parents, relatives, professors, random people I have conversed with at the supermarket. Give us a break will you?
Your life is an ever-evolving story, and there will be plenty of unknown obstacles in your path. The powerful characteristic of this state of uncertainty is that you can choose how to handle yourself while faced with it. If you are truly feeling lost about your future after college, this feeling of agonizing uncertainty can actually be a very good thing, and it is up to you to embrace it.
Your hesitations and doubts mean you are taking the time to think critically about how you will put your best foot forward after you can no longer call yourself a college student. Why start your career in a job you dislike because you wanted to feel secure and be able to tell your family at your graduation party that you kind of have your life together? Many graduates find themselves stuck in careers that they simply do not enjoy. You did not take out thousands of dollars in loans to have a career that you never dreamed of.
Take your time figuring out where you want to be and what you want to do after college. You just spent the last 16 or so years of your life in school; you deserve some time to second guess yourself and your ambitions. Keep questioning your goals and desires in order to make sure they truly resonate with your current state of mind. You will find a job.
Take a year off, and go on an adventure, start your own business or do whatever it is you need to do to live your life passionately and with purpose. Everything will fall into place if you let this uncertainty guide you toward making sure you are doing what you love. After all, this feeling of uncertainty is coming from your high standards to go far in life. If your biggest problem is having high standards, then it sounds like you are bound to go places.
Congratulations on almost graduating, and good luck with your quest for a purposeful new beginning. It may take some time to figure your life out, but your decisions will be informed and thoughtful and will lead to the future you are aiming for if you learn to accept that your life is up in the air until you do something about it. You have reached a crossroads, and there are two possible paths in front of you: The one where you are strong and push through the doubts and fears, or the one in which your uncertainty consumes you. Which will you choose?
