As a fourth year, my head is a swirl of pre-graduation feelings. I’m excited about a new chapter of my journey into early adulthood, sad to leave the community I’ve built here, and grateful to have had the opportunity to go to college in the first place. The hardest part of it all is the uncertainty. When people ask me what my post-grad plans are, I don’t have an answer. Although the possibility of getting closer to my career goals is exciting, these feelings are muddied as I am reminded that none of that is guaranteed. To keep myself (and others who feel the same) sane, I’m proposing six steps to keep us grounded as we ease into what comes next.
Be patient with yourself
You’re working hard to stay on top of the post-grad job search, or grad-school search, while also focusing on your schoolwork, extracurriculars, social life, sleep and general survival. That’s a lot of work! So give yourself some grace. If you aren’t where you had hoped to be in the process, that’s ok. Neither am I yet, but we’ll both get there.
Focus on the good “What-If’s?”
Thinking about the future can either be exciting or stressful: it all depends on what you focus on. If your internal monologue is filled with “what if I don’t have a job when I graduate?” and “what if I don’t get into grad school?” there won’t be any space for the good possibilities. This is why I try to practice focusing on the good what-if’s: “What if I get my dream job?” “What if I get into the top school on my list?” “What if it all works out?” See? That feels much better. This is easier said than done. Trust me, I still find it hard to focus on the positives, but we can try together.
Ask for help
Telling yourself things will work out may seem hard with so much uncertainty. If you are someone
like me, who needs evidence before they believe something, you’ll find it tremendously helpful to seek guidance from those who came before you. Conversations with advisors, mentors, and professors will reveal that even the most successful people had bumps along the road. Even if you aren’t sure what questions to ask, or if you feel like you have too many questions, professors and other established professionals in your field are eager to help. My mentor-mentee relationships have definitely helped calm the chaos, as conversations with them provide the empathy and perspective I need.Find room for the things you enjoy
It’s easy to get so caught up in the frenzy of fourth year that you forget to do the things you love. I love doing yoga, but the other day I realized I had barely done it in months. Realistically, I doubt I’ll have time to go to the CSC for an hour every day, but incorporating just 10 or 15 minutes of yoga when I find the time has helped a lot. It’s almost impossible to balance all aspects of your life perfectly, but fitting in a bit of joy without overloading yourself will make the process much easier.
Remember your “why”
I easily become so wrapped up in the day-to-day grind that I lose sight of why I’m doing all this work in the first place. I used to want to go to medical school, and someone told me to put a sticky note that said “Dr. Middleton” on my computer so I could be reminded, through all the stress and late hours in the library, what I was working towards. My career plans have since shifted in a new direction, but my goal is still to have a career of service, doing work daily that helps people. Grounding myself in this “why” transforms those late nights from a burden to a process of developing knowledge that can be used to help someone. Those tedious job applications are just a step in accomplishing this goal. It doesn’t matter what your “why” is, how many times it changes, or if you still aren’t sure what it is yet. The point of this exercise is to stay grounded in your own journey, and have faith in your own path.
Shoot for the moon!
We all know the saying: “shoot for the moon, and if you miss at least you’re among the stars.” It may be a bit cliché, but it still holds some merit. I’ve spent much of my job application process
worried that the jobs I am applying for are too out of my reach. I tell myself that my grades aren’t
good enough, I’m not capable of the position, or there’s someone else out there that’s better. I’ve realized that if I don’t let myself try, even if I think it's out of reach, I’ll never end up with my dream job. Believe a little extra in the person who got you this far, and see where it takes you.
