We’re Seniors...What Do We Do Now?
Posted November 9, 2018
“Congratulations,” they say. “What’s next?” they ask. And the truth is, “We don’t know!” We’ve spent the past few years mastering the art of being college students. We did exceptionally well on exams we lost sleep over, we joined organizations that have changed our lives, we had internships and jobs that guided our ambitions, and in a few months we will have earned a degree we are passionate about. So now what?
Gap Year
Some of us will take this next year to live outside of the structure of schedules and deadlines. We have heard of others taking gap years, and it seems like a really beautiful disruption to tradition. Maybe we will end up traveling the countries abroad we have dreamt of immersing ourselves in. We’ll have an Eat, Pray, Love quest of self discovery for ourselves. Or maybe, we’ll take this next year to give back to communities through service. Good for us; I say, let’s take our time!
Graduate School
Some of us are not ready to leave the world of academics. We’re good at it, so why not go a bit longer? We’re submitting applications and anxiously waiting to be admitted to our programs of choice. Somehow, there’s less pressure than when waiting for undergraduate acceptance. Maybe, it’s because we’re more confident in our refined skills and abilities, and we know if our graduate plans don’t work out, we have other options. Good for us; I say, let’s keep learning!
Get to work
Getting started in the big kid world? Yes, sign us up! We’ve been ready for this moment for the past four years. Maybe we have a few options lined up from our internship experiences and hard-earned grades, or maybe we’re excited to look for just the right opportunity. Regardless, we are eager to get started with the rest of our lives, to find a city we love to live in and find a job we are happy to go to each day. Good for us; I say, let’s get after it!
The options for us are really endless at this point; it’s both freeing and terrifying. Maybe you’re one of the rockstars who knows exactly what you want next year; congratulations, seriously! The good news for the rest of us is that we have numerous options, and we’re at a pivotal point to set ourselves up for the life we want. It’s finally our turn to decide! Good for us; I say, good luck!
Author: Ashley Cameron, senior, applied communication studies