Just this weekend I attended yet another graduation. From high school to college, I think this may be a total of five or so now. Each time I go, I sit there and dread how long they will last. Even though the length is terrible, once I look around, I realize what these moments are all about. Each face I see is beaming with joy as they await to hear the name of their loved one being called. As their names are called, everyone screams and shouts in celebration. It is crazy to think that I have already completed one of these myself, and soon enough will be completing a second. Looking around not only gets me excited for this moment to come, but also terrified.
All these people who get receive their diplomas are now essentially set free into the "real" world, expecting to succeed. They have put in their time and effort and it has now paid off. The fact that it will be me on that stage in just a few short years is almost an unsettling feeling. How am I supposed to be ready to take on the "real" world in this amount of time? Currently, I have my major and excel in my courses, but what will this do for me when I can't even say what I want for a job at the end of it? Everyone just expects you to know what job you want, nevertheless your degree. Well, if you don't want to be a doctor, a nurse, a vet or a teacher, where does that put you?
The hardest part about all of it, is how do you narrow your interests down into one specific job? I know personally that I could see myself in any of these positions, it's just a question of what the real career would entail. Is it too much to ask to just be in Sims or something similar to test out all these jobs and see which I like best? Choosing your major is a lot more than it seems to be. You think that no matter what major you choose, you could find a job that will satisfy you. But what happens if I decide I want to be a baker, or a teacher, or even a detective after I already am going in the direction of a different major for a few years? Four years of school is a blessing and a curse-- I do not want to be in school forever, but this really is not an ideal amount of time to decide what the rest of my life will be like.
Even now as I write this, I am still unsure if my degree is what I should be getting. Yes, I love all my classes for my major, but is this leading me to a job I want? How is a college student really supposed to know all the job opportunities there are and how to get there? You just can't, there is no possible way. Whether I like it or not, in three years I will be leaving this college campus and crossing that stage with my classmates. We will all have a degree in variations, all completed course hours, and supposedly a good grip on life, and ready to go out in the world. As I look at things now, it all seems so surreal and distant.
But at the same time, I know time will fly by and it will be all too soon that I will step foot on one side of the stage as an undergraduate, and off the other a graduate with a Bachelor's Degree looking for my next step in life. I know I am not the only one out there who feels this way. What I have to say to that is keep our heads up and look for any signs there are as to what we should do--because what else can we do? In such a short period of time, we will have it all figured out, even as impossible as that seems. Until then, hoping for the best and knowing it will all be solved soon is almost all we can do. It's only going to be determining the rest of our lives, right?