Uncertainty for After College

By Allison Schroeder
Web Content Assistant Manager

It is the beginning of a brand-new academic year, and the same questions are repeatedly asked, especially “What are your plans for after college with your major?” This question may bring anxiety to some, or it may come naturally because you may already have it planned out.

If you are like me, you are probably anxious. But, let me tell you one thing I have learned: You are not alone.

So many people do not know what they want to do after college, and that is quite alright.

You see, college courses provide you with the necessary skills to help you succeed after college and the opportunity to be skilled in a specialty for your desired field of choice. For me, that specialty is mass communication where I take a deep dive into numerous fields including journalism, public relations, broadcasting, social media and much more.

This vast field of opportunity is quite intimidating because with an immense number of options comes a point where you need to take the time to discover what aspects of your degree interest you. Once you identify what aspects interest you, you should try and hone down those skills with extracurricular activities.

Personally, this too is difficult because I find interest in nearly everything.

I was the person in high school who changed their mind on what major to go into numerous times and eventually switched majors until I realized where I truly belonged.

And you know what? That is perfectly okay, because your path to discovering what you should do in college and after college may take time.  We are not all set at the same pace as the person next to us.

I once had a teacher in high school that followed multiple career paths after college that led them to receive multiple degrees in several subjects’ years apart from one another just to realize their true passion was in teaching.

Although I admit it took me a while to realize it was okay to not know what you want to do after college, I am proud to admit that I am getting closer to understanding what I want to do.

It is not an easy process, especially as my time at college is winding down, but there are resources to help us through the process at Texas State University like Career Services, and external resources.

So, if you are like me, just know it will all be okay. We will find our path.

Featured Image by Allison Schroeder