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With graduation around the corner, the question that seniors are all too familiar with is: “What are you doing after graduation?” This question is simple, yet redundant and scary – at least to those who don’t have anything planned yet.
Is graduating really that scary? Generally, graduation is accompanied by a shared sense of accomplishment and the feeling that there is a next step awaiting life after college.
Most seniors interviewed by the Pilot agree that graduating is a little scary. Lyssa Winslow says that the thought is intimidating because she has only recently figured out what she wants to do after college. For most of her life she wanted to have a career in the political science field, and had planned accordingly, but she now realizes that she would rather do something else.
Palesa Moihloe said, “The scary part is not knowing what to do because, for the last 16 years of your education, your life has been planned, and now for the first time you don’t have a plan, at least in my case.” Moihloe’s sentiments certainly raise the question whether graduating seniors generally feel pressured to have a job or any sort of plan immediately after graduation.
While some share Moihloe’s sentiments, there are those who don’t think that it is obligatory to have a plan right after college. Jessica Wingert said that graduating excites her because it is a step in a new direction. “It’s kinda like a fresh new page, and I’m excited to see what it has for me,” Wingert added. Eifel Kreutz has similar feelings. He said, “I don’t think it’s a bad thing to not have a plan, because it’s okay to have some time to just reflect on what you really want to do, maybe take an internship or a summer job or even travel.”
Gustavo Batista does not think that seniors should be pressured to have something planned right away. He said, “The way I deal with this feeling when it comes is by reminding myself that rarely do plans happen the way we thought. And, that we are always at our right place doing exactly the right thing we are supposed to be doing. That usually takes the pressure away.”
Winslow added, “I don’t think people should be pressured to have the perfect job after graduation. We are all going through changes and just because we are graduating doesn’t mean the learning process is over.”
Yet, pressure can be a good thing according others. “I feel pressured to have a plan because I’m graduating soon. I think pressure is okay. It is good because it forces you to hustle,” Moihloe said.
The one thing that intimidates every graduating senior is the sense of responsibility that kicks in after graduation. “Apart from starting life as an adult,” noted Moihloe, “the responsibilities of having to pay bills can be very scary after you have been provided for all your life.”