So You’ve Graduated. Now What?
Graduating from college is a major milestone in your life, but it can also bring with it anxiety and uncertainty. You have spent an average of four years finding your place on campus and settling into your niche, but now the school is giving you a piece of paper and kicking you out into the real world. You may be asking yourself, ‘what comes next?’ Never fear, I am here to be your guide as you consider where you will be in the next chapter of your life.
Well, you have three options. First, you can go on to get another degree. Second, you can join the workforce. Lastly, you can move back in with your parents. Since the final option isn’t one that I (or your parents!) would recommend for any prolonged amount of time, we will focus on the other possibilities.
Graduate School
As a graduate student myself, I know the excitement that comes with getting another degree. You get to take classes that pertain to the subject you are interested in, and only those classes! However, it can also make you impatient. You have been in school for as long as you can remember, and you can see all of your peers moving on with their lives (making money) while you are stuck sitting in a classroom. I need to make something clear: you should not be paying to get another degree. Let me say that again just in case you missed it the first time. Do not pay entirely out of pocket to further your education. When I first began looking at graduate schools, the mantra that was drilled into me by my professor was, “don’t go to grad school unless you can go for free.” In fact, that is exactly how I ended up 1,000 miles away from my family and surrounded by swamps and alligators. I currently have an assistantship at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette School of Music. Through this assistantship, my tuition is completely covered, and I receive a monthly stipend. If I had chosen to live on campus, I would have also received a housing stipend. In return for this funding, I am an employee of the school. I work a set number of hours a week assisting professors with a few classes. Scholarships are also available for grad students, and a simple search of the internet will turn up several possibilities. One more option to help you pay for school is receiving a fellowship through your university. Unlike an assistantship, a fellowship does not require you to work hours for the university. Positions like this exist in colleges across the country and in many different programs, and it is worth the time it takes to search for those opportunities. Talk to your professors and see if they have any connections, because they want to help you and see you succeed. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
Join the Workforce
The other option is to get a job. You payed thousands of dollars for your degree, so you might as well start using it. While the chances are that you won’t land your dream job right out of college, you should get a job in your field of study. Don’t settle for a job that is not in your field if you can help it (unless it pays really well!). Now is the time to make money and pay for all of the adult stuff you haven’t been thinking about, such as food and rent. Again, reach out to your professors and see if they have any suggestions or contacts. Within two weeks of moving to Louisiana, I was given three phone numbers of people who may be able to help my husband find a job, and all I did was say that he was a computer guy looking for a job. The people in your life want to see you succeed, so let them help you. The real world can look scary when you try to do everything by yourself, but it doesn’t need to be scary, and you don’t need to do everything by yourself. If you check out our other posts, we’ll offer you some sisterly advice every step of the way.
