It's about one-third into the month of April, and if you're a college student, this means you're either rushing to finish end-of-the-semester projects (I have an eight-page paper and a portfolio to finish myself), preparing for exams, or, if you're fortunate enough to be in your final months, getting ready for graduation. No matter what stage you happen to be at, moving on to the summer months or life after college is undoubtedly going to be panic-inducing. Like every year, this time of the year has each and every one of us feeling like:
But if we're being honest, the stress isn't worth it in the least. So many of us obsess and are told to obsess about our futures, about potential careers after college, but is that really why we go to college after high school? Sure, that's what we're told college is for: To find the career we're going to do for the rest of our lives. Maybe that's even what we think the point is when we start. But what's the point really?
I started college as a Journalism major. I'll pick something that lets me write for a living, I told myself for that first semester. But, as I'd realize in a few short months, I absolutely hated journalism and the idea of doing that for the rest of my life.
That was the moment I realized why I'm here.
I'm here to learn, not to train. I came to college to continue learning before it was too late (or too inconvenient) to do so. And this experience, more than anything else, is what I feel the purpose of continuing education after high school is. Certainly, some college majors and education paths lead directly into a career after you graduate, but I'm not so sure that's supposed to be the end goal, and I think colleges themselves even know that. If they didn't, they wouldn't offer so many majors that don't lead directly into a career path.
My Creative Writing major, for example, isn't going to get me into a job straight out of college. It simply won't, and I've accepted that. It's okay with me. The experiences I've had within my chosen major and minor, the things I've learned, are unique and important even if I never use them in a workplace setting.
I'm going to find a job in some field or another. Everyone is. But our education doesn't have to determine that. Our futures aren't set in stone based on what we choose to learn about for four years of our very long lives. College, as far as I see it, is about growth as a person, not growth as a worker. It helps solidify work ethic, personality, and beliefs in a way that no other setting could. The career you're "supposed to be" working toward is secondary.
So don't stress so much. Everything is going to work out in one way or another. Papers, exams, and meetings with advisors are difficult, but they don't determine the rest of your life.
