As I find myself in the last year of my undergraduate career, more questions arise about what to do next in my career, and many of these questions have been left unanswered.
I’m a senior and I have come to the conclusion that I don’t know what to do next. At the beginning of college, I had this whole plan laid out for me where I knew what I wanted to do, but as time went on I realized that there were some things that I stopped liking or other things that I had a newfound passion for. I realized that besides psychology, I wanted to study writing as well.
It can be difficult to explore these questions, to explore newfound passions, and to let go of all things that I don’t particularly enjoy anymore when there are these unanswered questions. The pressure that comes from people, in some cases parents and friends when they ask: “What are the next steps? Are you going to graduate school? Are you going to find a job? What are your plans?”
It can be difficult to not have an answer and even frightful to think that we are a step closer to the real world.
It is hard to realize that suddenly the career that a person is working for is not what they want anymore.
At the beginning of my college career, I was sure that I was going to go directly to graduate school and work on my career. Now I’m uncertain that graduate school is the next step for me.
Do I want to do what I am supposed to and follow the reasonable plan that almost everyone wants to follow, or do I do what seems adequate for the person that I am right now?
It is challenging to stop and think about these questions when people my own age who have followed the same steps I’ve followed have a clearer understanding of what they want for themselves and their future.
The only thing that brings me tranquility is knowing that no matter what decision I make, it should benefit me, it doesn’t matter if it takes me longer to get where I want to be as long as I get there. It is crucial to understand that we are all running at our own pace and there should not be an expiration date to decide what we have to do and what we want.
As long as people find a way to self-evaluate and know themselves, answers will become clear, but it’s also important to know that it is okay to feel confused and be foggy for a little while.
