1 year post graduation and still figuring it out.

I can’t believe its already May. I don’t know how you may have felt, but for me winter seemed to be exceptionally long this year and the fact that it’s finally May means summer is creeping around the corner. With the anticipation of these warm, carefree, days came the realization that in a few short days I will officially have been a college graduate for an entire year.

One year, three hundred and sixty-five days, and yet I still feel like I walked across that stage yesterday. I can still remember the nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach right before they called my name (I fully expected them to butcher it, like most professors did, but luckily my dean did not). After that the whole process seems like a blur. I worked my ass off for four years, and it all lead up to a moment that lasted, at the most, 60 seconds. And then it was over. I had achieved the biggest goal I had ever had up until that point and soon after, the high of that achievement began to fade and the question of ‘what next?’ started to sink in. For the first time ever, I had no plan and for anyone who knows me in the slightest, I like having a plan.

I spent the next few months ignoring the fact that society expected me to grow up and get a “big girl” job and embraced the summer for everything it was worth. When fall came around I realized that many people had expected me to go to grad school, but honestly it was the last thing on my mind. By the time that the holidays started to roll around I started to panic, not because I wasn’t back in school, but because I realized I had no idea what I really wanted to do for the rest of my life.

This is where I want to start with all of you who are graduating in the next few days. Even some of you alumni may find this helpful so listen up. College isn’t as important as we all thought it was. Yes, its pretty much necessary if you want to live a comfortable life with little worries but what all those professors neglected to teach us was the importance of living. Many college kids spend their years splitting time between the library and the nearest keg but what more of us twenty-somethings should be doing is embracing the situations that present themselves to us and learning from them.

It took me almost 365 days and a talk with my grandfather to really understand this. For those of you who don’t know my grandfather is one of the wisest men on the planet (at least in my opinion) and is a stickler for education. A few months ago he asked me what my next move was. Baffled, I stuttered through a bullshit excuse as for why I was at where I was at but also threw in the idea of traveling. Once the words left my mouth I expected him to reiterate the importance of school but instead he asked me where I wanted to go. He stressed to me that now is the time to take opportunities and visit new places because nothing is holding me back.

I learned so much while in college, but I’m starting to think that I’ve learned more now that I am out. I’ve learned to not let pressure get to me. I’ve learned that having a plan isn’t always the best thing. I’ve learned to embrace change. I’ve learned more about who I am as a person.

For my fellow alumni, we’re one year out and, if you’re like me, you’re still figuring things out. Just remind yourself its only going to get more interesting from here on, so brace yourselves. For those of you graduating, congratulations. You’re closing one door but opening another with endless possibilities. Don’t succumb to what society thinks your next step should be. Take your time, you’ve earned it. And most importantly, welcome to the 20something, what now club. I promise you, it’s entertaining.