Going With The Flow
As a rising college sophomore, one of the questions I am asked most frequently is what I plan to do after college. Managers at the company I am interning for, my parents’ friends, or random adults I encounter in the grocery store seem to pepper me with a rendition of this question almost unconsciously. Each time I hear this inquiry roll off peoples' tongues, my stress levels rise as I shrug my shoulders and confess that I am unsure of a future career path. They answer with the usual, “Well you have all the time in the world to figure that out” as I sheepishly calculate in my brain that in three short years, I will graduate from college and will most certainly need to have some sort of plan figured out; Sound the panic alarms.
As a type-A serial planner who relies on to-do lists and the Reminders app on my iPhone, I despise the fact that I do not have a plan for my life post-grad. Since elementary school, my paper planner has traveled with me everywhere. My day-to-day life was written out almost to the minute: wake up, school, volleyball practice, homework, walk the dog, dinner, bedtime, repeat. And, it wasn’t just daily plans, I had long-term goals as well: make straight As on my report card, audition for the school play, make the Varsity volleyball team, get a leadership position in a club, and find a job. Seemingly, everything was planned out and accounted for. That is, up until college.
Of course, I have not escaped my type-A personality entirely and still rely on my planner for day-to-day scheduling, but when I look beyond college and into the future, it is like staring into the abyss. I have absolutely zero idea what I want to do with my life. And, while that does scare me and can make me feel like I am falling behind others who do know what they want to do in the future or at least have a general idea, I have realized that this unknowingness can present an exciting and unique opportunity.
I played volleyball throughout middle and high school and one of the many lessons that has stuck with me is the power of being adaptable. Now, of course, when my volleyball coach talked about being adaptable, it was usually in the context of being able to adjust to the other teams’ plays on the spot or being comfortable with random substitutions, but the principle transcends beyond an athletic lesson.
Being adaptable means going into situations with few expectations and being willing to adjust to the circumstances that are presented. In my case, it means going to college and being open to learning new things and gaining new experiences without the pressure of needing to solidify a plan for my life post-graduation. It means not boxing myself into a certain timeline but rather welcoming all opportunities as chances to grow and learn more about myself. It means going to the club fair and signing up for clubs I am unfamiliar with or studying abroad in London for the summer or taking the time to ask my professors about their academic and professional journeys.
Not having a plan is typically not my cup of tea. I don’t like not knowing what I will be doing or where I will be in three years and I would be much more comfortable if I could answer the daunting “What are your plans after college” question. But, alas, I cannot. And, I am learning that that is okay. It’s more than okay. It's exciting and scary at the same time. Not everything in life is meant to be planned; in those moments of freedom and spontaneity is the opportunity to find your true passion and define yourself along the way.