Before starting at UCCS, I told myself college was the place where I would figure out the rest of my life. I would study what I love, meet all the right people and know exactly where I was headed once I received that special piece of paper that says how smart I am. Now, here I am three weeks from graduation, and I have absolutely nothing figured out — and that is totally fine.
I am perfectly content with my lack of expectations for the future. Expectations only lead to disappointment. The perfectionist in me wants to have the next 10 steps of my life planned in detail, but I know that I would only drive myself mad trying to fulfill a plan that is largely out of my control.
This has to be one of the worst times in American history to want to join the workforce, and there is nothing I can change about that. According to USA Today, the week of Jan. 11 saw the largest number of Americans filing for unemployment since 2018. Over 20% of unemployed Americans had been without a job for six months or longer. Hiring rates are the slowest they’ve been since 2013.
The job market is so horrible that it is wiser to just go with the flow. Every time I see news about the economy, I thank myself for avoiding post-graduation planning like the plague.
I could not have picked a worse time to graduate with aspirations of being a journalist, either. The job outlook for journalists is expected to decline 3% over the next eight years, according Bureau of Labor Statistics. Once again, I sigh at the prospect of even trying to make a concrete plan for myself when the outlook is so uncertain.
After my hectic time in college, I need to practice some self-care. Taking some time for myself means pushing out plans for the future, at least for a little while. I have spent so much energy grinding away at two jobs, a full load of classes and various side commitments. I have also consistently subjected myself to nights of pitiful sleep and days with barely enough food to keep my body functional. Hydration? Who is she? I cannot convince myself that it is time to become an adult in the workforce when what I clearly need is to nurture myself.
I look forward to escaping the level of exhaustion I have maintained for the last four years and letting the rest fall into place over time. I am officially tired of being too busy to enjoy life and take care of myself. And right now, changing that is my priority.
I am glad I don’t have a big girl job yet. I am looking forward to taking time over the summer to travel, enjoy my loved ones and relax for once in my life. I want to know what doing-life-for-fun is like before I get tied down to a desk job for the foreseeable future.
By not having everything figured out, I am giving myself the opportunity to experience a much-needed factory reset. My whole life does not need to revolve around education and the next big thing.
If you’re like me — someone with no plans, just a vague idea of what success after college looks like — don’t fret. It is perfectly valid to relax your brain and enjoy doing nothing for a little while. I am confident the rest will shake out like it’s supposed to, and that brings me peace.
Photo courtesy of the UCCS Photography Database.