KatsOutTheBag

          After the last box is packed and the heartfelt, drunk conversations are said, college is over. It was as if we were living in this bubble that made us completely unaware of the concept of time and the consequences that came with it. Do not get me wrong, we were itching to leave the dreaded upstate snow and inevitable drama that came with small minority groups in PWIs, but the idea of actually becoming adults was unsettling. Some of us had set jobs, graduate programs, or even wealthy households to set a cushion for us to soften the blow, but for the rest of us… we were scared. Scared that the career we had always dreamed of did not pay enough, scared that starting the job search would make it all too real, scared that whatever we were doing just was not good enough. I am currently in the midst of these fears while still trying to reassure myself of the accomplishments that have led me here.

        College was merely the stepping stone for what we could faintly imagine our future lives could be and somehow when we graduate, we reach a helpless low that makes the highs feel temporary and rushed. What we once found empowering now feeds into our apprehension, leaving us feeling more unsure than ever. It is as if we could not remember why we started this journey in the first place. We begin to wonder why getting into debt was even worth it. Sometimes I feel as if the worst part of it all is knowing that so many people are rooting for you, but you cannot seem to find the self-motivation to do the same. It becomes numbing at some point, yet just as the universe always does…it works out. It may not always be the perfect job, pay, or lifestyle but it will work, and you will realize why that struggle was necessary for your hustle. It will make sense one day and you have to hope that you will finally be one of those people whose rooting for you too. So, I will keep this think piece turned commencement speech brief… here are the five things I have learned since crossing that stage.