“What are you going to do when you get out of school?"
When we were little, we loved responding to that question with answers like “Dancer", "Astronaut", or “Doctor”. Nowadays, that question sounds like nails on a chalkboard. It seems like every time we come home to visit, every single relative has to ask us that question. Then, we have to give them an answer, like, “I’m going to get a job for the company where my internship is now,” or “I’ll invest in a small business and build stocks so I can afford a reasonable, new car with great gas mileage."
If there’s one thing I’m proud of, it’s that I’m brutally honest. I don’t like lying to people, because I don’t like when people lie to me. So, if you’re going to ask me a question, you better be prepared for my answer. If you ask me what I’m going to do with my life when I get out of school, you better be prepared for an answer like, “I don’t really know. I’m hoping I’ll get a job I like. I’d like to move out of my parents’ house, but I haven’t looked at any places yet. I’d really like to get a new car, but I haven’t picked out one I like yet. Maybe I'll just backpack across Europe, but I'd also really like to see a few cities in the States, so I haven't really decided yet."
Uncertainty is an acceptable answer. You’re barely twenty, maybe not even twenty yet. You’re still in school. You’re still driving a car that was made a decade ago. You’re probably still living with your parents. You don't know what you're going to do with your major, and maybe you don't even know what kind of job you want. That’s okay. You don’t have to have your entire life figured out before you get that diploma. You can play things by ear and just save your money while you’re waiting. You don't have to plan out where you will end up living before you even have enough credit to afford rent on an apartment.
We may be adults according to our ages, but we’re still young adults. That means we have a whole lifetime ahead of us. Why do we need to settle down now? We have at least 50, if not more, years ahead of us to worry about a mortgage or raising children. For now, let's just focus on ourselves.
We can do whatever we want. We don’t have to follow these traditional routes of marriage, 2.5 kids, and a house on a hill with a white picket fence. We can spend our twenties bar hopping and partying. We can travel the world. We can build our careers and network. We could even stay in our small hometown and keep our friendships with all those people from high school, if we want. We don’t have to be adults with adult responsibilities just yet. The great thing about your early twenties is that you have freedom. You’re old enough to go out with your friends for a drink, or travel to Europe, or take a car for a test drive. You're old enough to make adult decisions, but you shouldn't be expected to make all of them just yet.
The next time someone asks you what you’re going to do with your life, or what your plans are after school, tell them that you’re playing it by ear. Don’t tell them what they want to hear. Tell them you’re gearing up for an incredible journey called life. Don’t worry about pleasing people. Don’t feel like you have to have an answer for everything. Don’t feel like you have to be this perfect image of an adult with stability. Be unstable. Be yourself.
So, what are you going to do when you get out of school?
