You are showered in praise, gifts, and affection on that sunny, mid-spring day. You revel in the fact that all the long hours of studying are over and you will never see a final exam again. You thank your favorite professors for positively shaping your life and silently curse at the ones who almost failed you. You cry and celebrate that college is finally over. You ride out the euphoric high and sleep in your graduation cap.
About one month later, after the commotion settles, you begin having spurts of anxiety. Words bubble up into your mind: jobs, loans, bills. But you toss them aside because it’s time to celebrate four years of hard work! But another few months pass and summer quickly comes to a close. The service light of your savings account starts flashing red. That pile of bills on the kitchen table has doubled since you last looked. Anxiety grows and you soon realize you can’t avoid responsibility for much longer. After graduating, it is easy to use your new degree as a crutch. Recent grads are supposed to be lost with no direction. It’s normal. It is also very easy to ignore your unemployment and diminishing funds. Nonetheless, there comes a time when the novelty of graduating wears off and reality sinks in. Your resumé is not updated, your suit no longer fits, and you don’t have any idea how job applications work. The curtain is finally raised on your post-graduate life. Stressful interviews, rejection letters, ramen noodles, and late rent payments are all part of this nuevo adult life.There is so much pressure in today’s society to become “successful” that quarter-life crises are occurring earlier and earlier. The transition from academia to career is a breeding ground for angst and confusion. It is terrifying, uncertain, and thrilling all at once. These feelings are normal. I repeat: feeling uneasy, nervous, and frustrated by your own life is completely normal. From the outside, it might seem like other people have their entire life figured out and you’re the abnormal one. But I can promise you that everyone has some facet of their life that has room for growth. You will always feel a longing for something different or something new. That is okay. This drive for improvement is what makes us learn, grow, and thrive as individuals. Do not let your uncertainty become a weakness. Let it motivate you. You do not need to have everything figured out. You do not need a five-year plan written in stone. All you need is to. . . Know your own personal values. Stick to your morals. Be kind to everyone. Try new things. Stay positive. Set the bar high. Figure out what makes you happy and do it. Try not to get discouraged by the changes occurring in your life. Take life day by day and make each day special. Sometimes you have to embrace the chaos in order to gain control in your life. Enjoy the ride.
1 Comment
Philosoraptor
11/29/2017 07:37:37 am
Once we leave the sheltered life of adolescence we are confronted by the crushing and endless possibilities of adulthood. Freedom in this case is not some esoteric ideal, but a wilderness we are wholely unprepared for. We learn that the people whom we had previously admired for living a life of purpose, are in fact just as confused, frustrated, and anxiety stricken as we find ourselves. At the crux of this dilemma is one core question, what do I do with my life? From that follows many other questions: how can I pick one life out of the seemingly infinite possible lives out there for me, will I regret this choice? Will I be able to change it if I do regret it? Many people, when confronted with this lack that they find within themselves choose to run from it, the bury themselves away and abstain from making a real choice. I applaud you for looking out into the void and not blinking, it takes a strength few are capable of, and I hope you know that you are not alone in this.
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samanthaWriting to make sense of the world. Am I relatable? Who knows. But words are words, so take them or leave them. Archives
December 2017
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