Therapy in Chester, NJ
With spring finally in full bloom, graduation season is upon us! If you are preparing to graduate from college or graduate school, there are probably hundreds of thoughts flying through your head every day leading up to your commencement ceremony and in the few months (or years) that follow. You’re likely to not only be concerned about finding employment, if you’ll like your new job, moving out of your parents’ home, and paying back loans, but also about who you will be post-graduation.
For the past 20 something years, you have been a student and you’ve had the same routine: September through May/June you go to class, do homework, study, and look forward to your winter/spring/summer breaks when you pick up a part-time job and relax until the routine begins again. But now, you can decide how you want your routine to be and how you want to fill your time.
So when you’re no longer a “student,” who will you be? Though you may want or need to rush to get a job after graduation, try to take your time (as much as you can) to do some soul searching and to figure out who you want to be. Regardless of your major or degree, you aren’t being forced to remain in those direct fields. Instead, you can apply your studies and interests to a job that sounds more exciting to you.
For example, as an education major, you might feel like you have to apply to all of the teaching positions available within 30 miles of your parents’ home. In reality, you have a plethora of options and opportunities just waiting for you to explore them. You can travel abroad and teach English in a foreign country, or you can go to the nearest city and knock on every building’s door until you find something that sounds exciting to you. It’s all in the way you market yourself – as a qualified teacher, you’re excellent with planning, time management, interpersonal and communication skills, and creativity…with those qualities, you can do anything!
Do you want to become more independent and move to another state or region, or would you rather stay close to home? Please note, I am not speaking in terms of what would be financially responsible, but rather what kind of young adult do you wish to be? If your goal is to explore a new city, then do everything you can to make and save money in the next year, and then move! If your dream is to live in the suburbs and commute to New York, then only apply to jobs in New York to ensure that your dream comes true.
When you’re no longer a student, what kind of person do you want to be? A workaholic who is willing to work long hours to make it to the top really quickly, and willing to sacrifice a social life? Or are you someone who focuses on family and friends, and only has a job to pay the bills? Maybe you're somewhere in the middle. Do you want to have a few part-time jobs so that you’re always doing something different, or one lifelong career so that you have stability? Do you want to live alone, or with a partner or roommates? Are you ready to settle down and have a home and a family, or do you want to travel for a few years before committing to any one person or place?
The answers to these questions do not have to be figured out by the time you graduate or even a year after, and of course, there are no right or wrong answers! You can change your mind and your lifestyle whenever you want, and however often you want. The main point is that while it may take a lot of soul searching, trial and error, and time, you can be whoever you want to be! Find some short term and long term goals that satisfy and motivate you, and do whatever it takes to reach your definition of success.
So now that you’re graduating, and you’ll no longer be a student, who do you want to be? If you need help deciding, I am always here to help!
Contact
Risa Simpson-Davis, LCSW
732-742-0329