As one nears the end of their College education they are faced with a great deal of life changes, which, although exciting, is incredibly stressful.
"What are your plans?", "Do you have a job lined up?", "Where are you gonna live?", are just a few of the many questions asked to soon-to-be College graduates. When people ask these questions they don't necessarily mean to freak you out; actually quite the opposite. Sometimes people are just being nosey, we all know those kind of people and it's not too hard to figure out who they are and whether they're sincere or not. However, most of the people are genuinely interested and excited to see what you do with your life, because graduating from college and starting your "adult life" is just that; exciting.
After all, you just spent the last 17 years, and in some cases more, going to school. From finger paintings to capstones, you accomplished something so special and something not everyone is lucky or privileged enough to accomplish. Seventeen years is a long time to do something though, and no matter how much you might have grown to dislike school, it's what comes normal to you.
It's normal for you to good to bed two hours later than you were supposed to, wake up ten minutes later than you were supposed to, not shower, drown your sorrows in a pot of coffee and show up ten minutes late to lecture. You are used to dozing off in class and on the days you aren't fighting sleep deprivation you feel it necessary to watch videos of dogs hugging each other on the laptop your professor quote-on-quote outlawed on the first day of class.
There's a chance that if you want a decent job, with decent responsibility In the adult world you probably can't or at least shouldn't do that.
You aren't necessarily afraid of work because you've had jobs before, possible even two or three at the same time; but you haven't worked a 9-5 job, haven't had to worry about health & dental insurance and seek employment where there is paid holiday vacation.
You are so ready to live on your own, but you haven't had to worry about paying every expense that comes with living alone. You don't get to split rent four ways or the water & electric bills and every time it snows or the dishes pile up YOU have to do it. There are no more turns.
Furthermore, you're still on your parent's phone plan and car insurance, so despite having a degree you aren't quite the 'adult' the world wants you to be.
All of that is okay.
Growing up is absolutely terrifying and in a perfect world the transition would be easy. You'd be working your dream job, making your dream salary in your dream town. That would be so easy, and if it's one thing a twenty, thirty and even a sixty-something person has learned; life is anything but.
Don't stress about what you plan on doing after college, or for that matter what you plan on doing three months from now. Certainly don't avoid your responsibilities by hiding out in your room watching Netflix or playing video games, but certainly save yourself the panic attack.
It's okay not to have a job lined up, not know where you are going to live or what you are going to be doing the day after you graduate.
Life is good and it's a lot better when you don't worry about the things you have no control over. You are young and so as long as you hold yourself accountable to what you want, everything will work itself out one way or the other.
