By NICOLE BAKER
Opinion Editor
There have been many articles written on the topic that I am about to discuss. While the point that I have to make is the same as those in previous pieces, I know that despite my efforts, this dilemma is far from over. You see, now that I am a senior, I completely understand why those previous articles were written in the first place.
Why? Because now I can fathom the frustration that comes with people constantly asking the ever-dreaded question: “So, what are you going to do after graduation?”
I can almost guarantee that most college students around the globe get asked this very same question year after year, month after month, and day after day.
For me, hearing this dreaded question triggers an automatic neurological response that sends a message to my eyeballs telling them to roll on cue. I can’t control it—believe me, I’ve tried. The thing is, whatever I seem to say always prompts some type of judgement from the person who asks.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten the response, “Oh, is there a job market for that?” Or, “I didn’t picture you going into that field. I hope you like it.”
Whether or not my future is up for judgment by other people is not the point of this article. However, I find it odd that others take so much interest in what my future life story will be. What if, in all honesty, I don’t yet exactly know what I want to do with my life? What if I thought I knew what I wanted, but soon realized that it’s not for me? What if my plan was just to go with the flow after graduation? Is that so bad?
Apparently, for people who dare to ask the terrible question that prompted me to write this piece in the first place, it is.
Let me explain. A couple of weeks ago, I went to the dentist for my semi-annual cleaning. When it was time for the dentist to come in and check my teeth, he asked me how I was doing in college, what year I was in, and of course, what my plans were for after school. Since he asked an honest question, I gave him my honest answer—“I don’t know yet.”
Apparently, he didn’t like that very much, although I don’t know why he cared. I only see him twice a year. His response? “What? You don’t know? How can you not know? You’ve spent four years in school, and you still have no idea?” Yet, the real kicker was this one-liner—“You better figure that s*** out very soon.”
Besides the fact that my dentist cursed at me for not having my life figured out, and whether he meant it or not, it all got me thinking. What’s so bad about not knowing what we want to do with our lives after graduation? What ever happened to taking life one step at a time?
While I, too, ponder the possibilities of my future, my ultimate goal at this particular moment in my life is just to get through my senior year in college. And while I intend to figure out what I want to do eventually, I’ve found that sometimes the best plan is not having one at all.
My point? It’s OK to not know what you want to do after college—a lot of people don’t. Yet, it’s important to remember that whatever you choose to do, whether you choose to go on to higher education, launch into a career, or travel the world, you should be happy doing it.
Your future is in your hands and it is only for you to decide. As long as you do what makes you happy, then there’s no way you can make the wrong decision, no matter what anyone else seems to think about it.
