Hey Seniors,
If you’re anything like me, you might be freaking out a little bit this break. We’ve got a lot going on, and not a lot of time left. Many of your friends surrounding you might be having job interviews, sending in applications, or, if they’re lucky, they already have a job. If they aren’t looking for jobs, they’ve already taken the GRE, they’re filling out grad school applications, and everything is going great for them. You might even be that person, who’s reading this right now and laughing at me.
I have not done any of those things. As a tour guide at Wooster, I often get asked what my plans are after graduation. Usually, instead of offering a nice, solid answer, I laugh at myself. I laugh because I have absolutely no clue what I am doing. My GRE prep book is sitting on my bookshelf at Wooster. I’ve never opened it. My “Real Life” bookmark on the Internet has one possible job in it. That’s it. Two weeks ago, my dad sent me an email titled “Top Jobs for Biology Majors,” but I haven’t opened it.
Many of you might now be laughing at me too, wondering what the heck I am doing with my life and why I don’t have anything together. The truth is, I have a few things together. I know all of the things I don’t want to do. I don’t want to spend another year of my life in school—at least right now. I don’t want to take my biology degree and go to Med School. I don’t want to live at home forever. I don’t want to work at a desk eight hours a day, and I don’t want to be stuck in a lab all day, either. I know the simple things I want to; to move out of Ohio, to have a job with enough money that I can own a horse again, to do something I enjoy. I see myself working in admissions, or in the field, or hands on with animals.
Even with all these wants and don’t wants, something is still keeping me from updating my resume, opening up an Internet tab, and searching “jobs for biology majors.” I am absolutely terrified of taking the next step of my life. I can’t even believe that four years ago, I was refusing to go on college visits and open that chapter. And here I am again, in the exact same place.
So, with all these thoughts running around in my head, I’ve decided, it is okay that I don’t know exactly what I want. It’s important to recognize that I should be doing something, and that I will, but the question is when.
I guess what I’m saying is, for my fellow seniors out there that don’t know what they’re doing, and don’t have anything together, I’m in the same boat right now. It’s important, now more than ever, not to get stressed out by all of the people that do. We are a generation of smart, motivated people—we’ll get there at some point. Just keep looking ahead, not behind, and move forward towards your dreams.
For now, though, let’s enjoy our last semester together. We have to graduate first!
Sincerely,
Me
