The Countdown Continues... Class of 2010 across the WORLD! Are we ready?? We are about to be done! Finito! College was probably THE best 4 (or 5... hey, it happens) years of your life. You've grown and matured as an individual, joined organizations, made friends and connections. And now its bout to be over. Dang, how does that make you feel? For my mighty Bison at Howard University Graduation is.... 11 Weeks, 6 days, 10 hours, 35 minutes and 59..58..57, you get my drift. While some may be singing the 'Freedom Song,' others are call it 'Doom's Day.' Why?? Just think about it... Most of you have been in school EVERY year since you were 4 or 5 years old. That's the past 17 or 18 years of your life! (Go ahead, inhale and exhale.) Exactly...that's how I felt. Since last semester, the goal for many of us has been graduation. Just keep pushing. Just keep grinding. We could see the light at the end of the tunnel, the white tape at the end of a marathon, the Oz at the end of that doggone yellow brick road! But now this "figment of our imagination" is starting to become a tangible reality, the anxiety starts to set in. I can't tell you how many graduating seniors I've spoken to ,that when asked what post-grad plans are, I get a blank stare. I even think I saw a tear in the eye of one person. Its a scary thought. In this economy, (oh boy, I never thought I'd be the one saying this) its hard out here. And who can forget those rack of student loans and debt that we have built in 4 years? The recession is real, and its one UGLY son of a *&%^#!! But I digress. The reality is, some of us really don't know. There are just so many options. "Should I go to grad school?" "Try to find a job?" "What am I good at?" And the question that I know is on every body's mind... "How can I make some money?" How much will your piece of paper be worth in the real world? I find myself at a crossroad sometimes. Thinking long and hard about what I should do next.I have a dream that I definitly plan on following. I find that the worst thing to do, is think too hard and take no action. Then you'll just be stuck. Don't wait for opportunities to pass you by because you've been spending all your time just "thinking"... Do some research, reach out to mentors, but ultimately the decision is yours. Justttt don't wait too long, cuz before you know it, allll of those private institutions that loaned you that money?? Yeah they're gonna want it all back.
Glad to see you're starting to think about this Grace.
ReplyDeleteFor me graduation was a breath of fresh air. Why? Because I knew exactly what I would be doing the day after....had a nice cruise lined up and when I got back I would be walking into the corporate world doing global comm for a huge financial services company.
The only reason I was able to relax is because I started preparing for May 10th (day after grad) all the way back in December.
I would urge graduating seniors to get on the good foot if they haven't already. Nothing is going to be handed to you so you need to either start reaching out to companies or applying to grad schools (or both).
I can guarantee that if you decide to "wing it" and wait until May to start your job search you will join the ranks of brilliant college grads without a job.
My advice: Get on it....time's a wasting.
Thank you for your feedback. It's interesting to see the insight of Alum.
ReplyDeleteI wish I was graduating lol... But its tough to figure out what you wanna do for the rest of your life by the age of 21. I know personally, I have changed my career aspirations like 5 times in the past 4 years alone. And Im sure I will continue to change my mind. I cant wait until I FINALLY graduate and go off to become Dr. Carter tho!
ReplyDeleteI feel it. Its so crazy how some people know EXACTLY what it is that they want, and seem to know the steps it takes to get there. Thats such a foreign concept to me.
ReplyDeletePeople think they know, but they are going to grow so much out in the "real world" and in the workplace.
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