Emilie, by our student standards, has made it. In the spring of 2018, she graduated from McGill University with a first class honours degree in Art History. Once we leave the academic system, once we graduate, the whole world opens up to us – a world of decisions, decisions we have to make ourselves. Itâs bloody terrifying. When Emilie graduated, she faced the decision of whether to go back to school in October to do a Masters or to go travel the world.Â
Though her original dream was to be a ballet dancer or a painter, with age, Emilieâs career goals have shifted to academia. The idea of being a professor, putting together interesting classes and caring for her students appeals to her, however, academia at that level is super âcut throat.â There would be a constant pressure to publish and to surpass her colleagues. When I spoke to her in the fall on the matter, she expressed concerns about how ready she was for a Masters. âI feel itâs what I should be doing, but I dont feel ready for it,â she admitted.Â
All Emilie really wants to do is travel. Last summer, after many trips to Europe, she planned her first trip to South America, where she completely fell in love with the culture. She adventured all over Peru and Ecuador, hiking up Machu Picchu with her best friends. When weâre young and growing up, it is important to be able to learn about other cultures and expand your horizons. Emilie was inspired by Latin American music, the language, the friendly people… She worries that âliving in hostels, cold showers, humid rooms, no air conditioning, working for the next meal, long bus rides are all experiences that are only fun when youâre young.â Travelling therefore feels urgent and fleeting.Â
Emilie, now, has been able to reconcile her desire to travel with her desire to pursue higher education firstly by going to study abroad, as well as by returning to South America this summer before school starts. She has applied to universities in England. Not only would such an opportunity satiate her wish to âvisit and live in a variety of cities,â but also, London, with its multiplicity of reputable art institutions, is an ideal location for Emilieâs focus on European art history. Although sheâll miss her friends and family, along with their âdramatic Sunday dinners,â she cannot wait to see what London has to offer her. Emilie also plans to go on a three-month trip around South America where sheâll be able to immerse herself in a totally alien culture. She now speaks excitedly of the new friends sheâll make, of the Spanish sheâll practice and especially, of the diverse landscape in South America â the âmountains, jungle, beaches, cloud forests, salt flats and citiesâ!Â
All in all, todayâs society puts a huge pressure on young adults, whether it be to choose your future career at age 16 when entering CĂ©gep or after graduating university, when the pressure of being successful at a young age will push you into following a path youâre not sure you want to go down. It is ridiculous to expect a 21 year old to know what they want to do every day for the rest of their life. Deciding who we want to be and what we want to do are age-old questions that we all face. Know that no matter how worried and confused you are now, you are not alone. Emilie too faces these concerns everyday. With the support of her friends, her family and a significant amount of reflection however, she was able to come to the following conclusion:Â
âIâve accepted that itâs okay not to have a plan yet, your 20s are meant to be to take advantage of being young. My dad used to say âyouth is wasted on the youngâ; I have always been determined to prove that quote wrongâ.Â
Though it may feel overwhelming now, whatâs life without a little excitement and confusion to keep you on your toes?