As my final semester here at WVU is finally off to a start, I can’t help but continuously think about what comes next. What happens after graduation? Will I find a job? Will I move back to my hometown? Will I stay in Morgantown? Should I go to grad school? So many questions, yet I have zero answers. It seems like everyone keeps asking me the same question: do you know what you want to do after graduation? I usually respond with a smile, but all I want to do is come up with a sassy reply and roll my eyes. I wish I knew, but for some of us it just doesn’t turn out that way. Granted, the semester is brand new and I have months ahead of me to truly decide, but a sense of panic just overwhelms me.
I’ve decided that the best thing to do is take it day-by-day. I’m constantly looking for jobs, grad school options, places I’d like to apply, things I’d like to do, and so much more. My advice to those in the same boat as me: don’t let the pressure get to you emotionally. We are fortunate to live in a time where the opportunities are endless. While it may take some time to get where you ultimately want to be, your goals are attainable. I think we get too caught up in believing that we should have our lives figured out by graduation, but sometimes that just isn’t the reality. WVU has given us the credentials to succeed, but it’s our job to find the way. We can’t be afraid to take risks and fail. If you can’t fight the pressure, ask for help. Visit career services, ask your professors, make connections, and talk to family and friends. Someone is bound to have the answers to the dilemmas you are facing. Do what you can to find your happiness.
When I’m wearing my cap and gown in May, I will be proud, happy, and so many other emotions, but especially confident. I will be confident that I am prepared to take on whatever life throws at me next. Whether I’ll have finally found a job to start my career or I’ll still be looking, I will be able to handle it. How lucky am I to have the opportunity ahead of me to live a life full of goals I know I can reach?
Good luck to all of the seniors with their final semester! We can do this. Never forget that we will always be Mountaineers!