I often find myself overwhelmed with the idea of what comes next. Will I continue to work as a barista? Will I be able to create as a director? Will I book a job as an actor? Will I work within the entertainment industry or go into filmmaking? Where will I move? As a college senior who will graduate this spring, I wonder if I am fully prepared to step into the field of broadcast journalism or theatre and film. I am a creator: I write, direct theatre, act, play the bass, review music and have a passion for the entertainment industry. I have all of these ideas, but what am I supposed to do to condense these into one specific career path? The answer is that I do not have to.
College seniors are always asked, “what are your plans post-graduation?” We are held to a standard of having our academic career thought out and beginning to book jobs right after graduation. You should not feel that it is too late or you have too little time to make a decision to do what is best for you. You are on your own path to success and success is determined by how you define it. Life has its ups and downs, its unpredictableness and its potential for greatness. Take it one day at a time.
Beginning college during the pandemic has made me feel less than at times. I felt I needed to compensate for not being on campus by overworking myself and gaining all of the experience that I could. I put an unnecessary amount of pressure on myself. I took over the maximum amount of credits that I could each semester, booked projects or created a project to dedicate myself to each semester and worked part-time. Every. Single. Semester. Almost to the point of burnout.
I have realized that as long as I am happy, healthy and content in what I do, I will be alright. I am beginning to instead live in the present and find that my happiness is my first priority regardless of where the future takes me.