Let me paint a very sad, realistic picture for many of you. If this sad picture doesn't apply to you, I promise one day it will, or it already has. You just graduated high school, some of the best years of your life ahead of you, college, new friends, parties, and a completely different world. Fast forward to freshmen move in day. You are completely starting your life over. The years go by in a blink of an eye. And now you're like me. Sitting in your room reading this article painting the picture in your head of what your life has been for the past four years. Now, it's your last semester of college. You have about four more months of the college life. Sleeping till noon, drinking out of boxes of wine, and rolling out of bed and going to class. In college world, that's completely acceptable, in the real world, not so much.
Four months later, you dress in your cap and gown; you walk across stage and accept your diploma. This is a piece of paper that could potentially set you up with a job for the rest of your life. But there is one problem, what if you have no idea what you want to do for the rest of your life? You smile and give a thumbs up to your parents from the stage; you sit back in your seat, close your eyes and beg the gods to help you figure out what the hell you want to do for the rest of your life. You feel helpless, lost even. You just spent thousands of dollars for this piece of paper in your hands and you have no idea what the hell to do with it. How are young adults who are barely old enough to drink supposed to know what they want to do for the rest of their life? The thought is quite startling. To think that in the next year student loans, my parents house, and a real person job is my future. I'm not sure how exactly to feel about that.
Some advice to people in my position:
- Do what makes you happy. If you don't want to work a 9 to 5, sitting behind a desk, don't. I'm serious don't do it. You will be miserable. Live your life doing whatever is going to make you happy. Graduating college is not the end of the world; it's the beginning of your future.
- Relax. Although not knowing what you want to do for the rest of your life seems overwhelming right now, don't let it be. Thousands of college students feel the same way.
- Keep your options open. Apply to all different positions that interest you, anywhere that is going to make you happy. Because in the end, the most important aspect of life is not the sad, realistic picture of graduating college, it's the picture you want to look back on and smile.
- Be happy. Above all your happiness is key. If you hate what you are doing, it is not the end of the world, try something different. Life is too short to be unhappy with what you are doing.