Read This If You Have No Idea What You’re Doing After Graduation

“What are you doing after graduation?”

I hate this question. It’s sort of like the type of question you shouldn’t ask someone — at least, I wish it was.

You know how it’s rude to ask someone their age? I feel the exact same way when it comes to the question, “What are you doing after graduation?” That’s something that should be shared willingly. The pressure of having things figured out at such a hectic point in your life is hard because school is hard. On top of that, not only is the work you do hard, but there’s so much that comes with college. Personal issues with friends, family, or a significant other, issues within yourself that you’re trying to resolve or understand, or just simply getting through each day.

It can be so annoying and tiring having that same uncomfortable conversation about not knowing what you want to do after graduation time and time again. People really think that graduating college solves everything and that you’re automatically on your way to make some big bucks so you can start the career they consider to be good. However, in reality the only guaranteed bare minimum after graduating is usually debt and a degree that may or may not even be useful. For some reason, I find that the people who are so quick to make you feel foolish for not knowing what you want to do are the ones who didn’t even go to college or finish. Those who already completed college usually know the struggle of trying to figure life out, in my opinion.

You may enter college knowing what you want to do, but the way college plays out might leave you clueless when it comes to an end. It’s so incredibly easy to say what you want to do before beginning your college career; it’s always easy to speak on something you haven’t begun, because you don’t know the challenges that come with it.

So the next time you’re asked what you plan on doing after graduation, let that person know you’re taking things day by day but don’t forget to remind yourself it is okay to not know.