4 Paths To Choose Upon Graduation

While we are in college, we do worry about the future from time to time. However, it takes us a while to realize that the end is approaching and many decisions will have to be taken. What happens after graduation becomes a defining phase of life. What you thought you would be by the end of the final year won’t be making sense to you anymore; what you expected the least may become your reality. Or, you simply don’t know where you are at. I guess it is easy to say that we should choose our future while at college. No, it is not easy at all. We are not born with a guidebook for every phase of life. Sometimes, we just don’t know what to do. Everyone wants different things. So, there is no way to customize this article to specific individual needs. However, what I have done is enumerate 4 routes that you can take following graduation. Considering your respective conditions, you may want to explore any of these options. So, let us find out what you can do once you graduate.

1. Get employed
   Obviously, the most commonly opted choice following graduation is employment. Many of us start preparing for the same from the penultimate year of graduation so that we have options to consider once we are out of college. People opt for immediate employment for myriad reasons. Some want job security as early as possible to have an early start; some have financial commitments they need to take care of such as loans, and some want to gain experience before pursuing further education. The job market keeps changing. During the pandemic, it went through upheavals as a result the employment rate across the globe shot up. Things are easing out these days and employment opportunities are improving.

2. Pursue further education
   Some do not enter the job market. Instead, they explore advanced educational opportunities. A lot of people find this route highly rewarding as it helps in undertaking the completion of their education continuously. Moreover, there are certain professions you cannot practice without a postgraduate degree such as medical science. However, a postgraduate degree program is a serious commitment and one shouldn’t pursue it unless they are directionless and financially constraint. It is also advised that education abroad can be an added advantage provided certain conditions are met.

3. Start your own business
   It is utterly normal to find graduates that establish businesses after college. Many students go to business schools to study the essentials and employ them in the future. Some universities actively encourage entrepreneurship such as the National University of Singapore, Stanford University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This step is generally taken by people who are willing to take risks, want to gain autonomy, and acquire flexibility in the manner of work. A lot of people say that this amounts to wasting time and energy on getting a degree when all you wanted to do was to establish a business. I say this is a wrong approach. Education comes with a purpose. It is a way to impart knowledge and skills and should be available to people irrespective of their future plans. Business is one of the plans of graduates and they are entitled to pursue it.

4. Take a break and experiment
   When all the aforesaid options do not appeal to you, it is a signal that you need a break. A gap year frightens many graduates. They think that it reflects poorly on their credentials. Actually, it is not necessarily the case. People are only curious to know why you took a gap year, and this is different from explicit rejection. You need time to think and only a gap year can give you that. During the gap year, you should travel around, talk with people, volunteer, undertake internships to explore different work opportunities, and experiment with the knowledge you have. Perhaps, when you are not bound by commitments and are free to process your thoughts, you will be in a better position to decide what becomes of your future. So, just take a break. It is perfectly fine to do that.