Post College: Looking at the Possibilities with a Positive Mindset

Possibilities. I've never had this much possibility in my life until now. As a senior in college, "the world is your oyster" people say. But that's easier said than done. The reality is, every choice comes with many ties. And to be honest, there's a lot of pressure from society and family to make the right choice. Therefore, it can create anxiety for many people.

So, I want to remind my fellow seniors that are in the same boat as me to take a deep breath and let's look at the future in a new light. Let's do some research on life after college and also what the Bible says about the future.

According to Indeed, there is an infinite amount of life paths post-college. There's beauty in the freedom to choose what post-college life has to offer and it varies from person to person, but Indeed provides 16 generic possibilities of what college graduates can choose to do with their life. Let's look at these possibilities briefly:

1. Move back home

2. Continue your education

3. Become a research assistant

4. Take a gap year

5. Find an internship

6. Turn your passion into a job

7. Go to graduate school

8. Find volunteer opportunities

9. Take a public service position

10. Find seasonal work

11. Teach abroad

12. Work for your college

13. Move to a new place

14. Take an apprenticeship

15. Start your own business

16. Get an entry-level job

Looking at these possibilities, I resonate with option number 7. For me, I am choosing to go to graduate school because I believe that graduate school is essential for me to pursue my career goals as the article said. And if you're interested in more details regarding why I'm choosing to pursue grad school, you can read more about it on my last blog.

So, look at these options and determine which ones resonate with you the most. There might be more than one, if so, make a list under the options and see which one has more pros than cons. Then, decide if it is realistic and make a plan of action of how to get there before graduation.

Let's say, the option that we're choosing for post-college life looks good. And we have a plan. But that doesn't eliminate the anxiety and stress that comes with post-college life. So, how do we deal with our anxiety? Well, Careercontessa provides us with 10 positive ways to deal with post-college anxiety.

1. Take a deep breath and think about all the things that you've just accomplished.

2. Stop comparing yourself with others

3. Invest in something that you're passionate about

4. Start a new hobby outside of your comfort zone

5. Focus on the present

6. Don't sweat the big stuff

7. Focus on the present

8. Don't neglect your body and mind

9. Cross something off your bucket list

10. Trust the journey

I think that the root of all anxiety comes from a lack of confidence in oneself. Therefore, looking at all the things that you've accomplished is a way to build confidence in yourself again. And everyone's journey is different so there's no need to compare even though that's our default. Therefore, it is important to make sure that we take care of our body and mind by doing the things that we love and focusing on the present. That way, we're living life and there's no what-ifs but a bucket list that is being crossed out.

I want to close out with an encouraging verse from the Bible about the future. The world is full of despair and fear of the unknown. But God reminds us in the book of Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11, "For I know the plans I have for you. Declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not harm you plans to give you hope and a future." So let's not live in fear but in the joy of the many possibilities and opportunities that are ahead of us.