Stress Concerning Post-Grad!

As a fourth-year student, it is hard not to get worked up about the future. More specifically, it feels like this overarching cloud that somewhat shadows over everything you do. You have lots of people asking you, “what are your plans?” or, “when are you applying to this grad program?” and it is hard to have all the answers prepared for those asking. Even when you do have a plan, sometimes the stress of whether it is going to work out becomes overwhelming. 

However, you don’t need to have every single detail figured out right now. While the concept of a plan is ideal, it is significant in itself to just have a goal or an idea of what you desire for yourself. I am not sure that I can speak for everyone in saying this, but for me personally, having something that I am passionate about has helped ease a lot of the stress about the future working out. More specifically, even if things don’t work out the first time around, having something you are passionate about will help you try again, as many times as you need to get to where you want to be. 

So, my first piece of advice to my fellow fourth or fifth-years, or really anyone of any age with anxiety about the future, is to figure out what you are passionate about. It is a good place to start, as there are endless career-opportunities related to different things. More importantly, if you are passionate about what you do, you are a lot more likely to be happy in your long-term career. While everyone worries about salary, which is inherently important, it is vital to try and ensure that whatever you pursue is something you are truly interested in, as that is what you will be doing for the rest of your life (unless you opt to change careers of course). 

My second piece of advice would be to stay in the present. Many of you may be wondering what that means, and I mean to say that don’t look ahead to the future too frequently. A large part of what your future will look like, depends on what you are doing in the present. So, it is more effective to put your best effort into whatever you are working on now, or the stage of life you are in now, then to consistently live in a time period which has not happened yet. This is not to say don’t plan or consider the future, but to do that with patience, care, understanding, and flexibility. 

My third piece of advice would be to try out as many different opportunities as you can. More specifically, whether they are volunteer, work, travel, or research opportunities, do it! This is especially helpful for those who do not have a direction yet. The more you engage with different aspects of the community, the more likely you will be to find an area that you enjoy and are interested in. This interest may then evolve into an area that you are trying to pursue, career-wise! 

My final piece of advice, which may sound vague and cheesy, is to remain optimistic and resilient. It sounds vague, because it is vague, but I have found it to be immensely important and helpful in my own experience. As mentioned before, a lot of us in our final years of university/college are facing our futures head on, and it is not difficult for us to fall down a spiral of hopelessness or fear. This is where having a growth mindset comes in to pick you up, and keep you going, a growth mindset will help you persevere through whatever hoops and hurdles you have to experience to get where you want to be. This type of mindset will not just help you now, but through all adversities and challenges you face in your lifetime.