Advice: How do I stay sane with graduation looming?

I’m a fourth year, and I feel like I’m barely staying afloat. I mean, I have to do the regular Grinnell amount of school work but on top of that I have to plan for my future. Applying to jobs has always been hard and scary, but now there’s so many other factors contributing to my existential dread. The job market is bad, everyone is worried about/way too excited about AI — the world is just a scary place right now. How can I get through the semester and alleviate some of this angst?

– Freaked Out Fourth Year

 

Dear Freaked Out Fourth Year,

This is a question I was dreading answering, mostly because I’m right there with you. I couldn’t think of something to say that didn’t feel really flimsy, because you’re absolutely right, the world is an extremely scary place at this moment in time. We can all feel it. 

That being said, what a blessing to be able to worry about what we’re going to do with our college degrees. I am not trying to say this is a silly or tone-deaf thing to worry about, I just think it’s helpful to take a moment to remember what we have to be grateful for. You did it! You got through four years at Grinnell, and that’s already a huge accomplishment. Think about where you were when you started. Reflect on how much you’ve grown and how much you have yet to learn. Life is a really long time. 

Sometimes I feel like a brand new baby, and other times I feel like I’ve been alive forever. We have so much ahead of us, and although this is a big, frightening change, you can reframe it. You’re not leaving anything behind — you’re carrying it with you into the next chapter of your life. 

And further, whatever you do after college is absolutely fine. It’s good, even. I mean that. I’m moving back in with my parents and maybe working my usual summer job for a while. You don’t have to have it all figured out right now, and you definitely don’t have to achieve your biggest career goal right after college. We still have so much time. 

I have a five-year plan, but I have to constantly remind myself that it’s just one possibility of what my future looks like. I can’t get too attached to that vision of the future. Again, really scary, but it makes it easier to be gentle with myself as I embark on this huge life change. Things will inevitably not go exactly to plan — it’s about making peace with that. That’s probably a good thing.

Now for some actionable steps towards inner tranquility at this crazy time — to be honest, I don’t really have any. Take some deep breaths. Call someone you love. Do your homework, apply to jobs, read, watch movies. Spend time with your friends. Get a lot of sleep. My goal for this semester has been to say yes to more things, and it’s helping me live in and with the fact that these are my last few months at Grinnell. 

I think it’s also important to realize that no amount of certainty about the future is truly going to make you feel better. Sure, you can get a job lined up or know where you’re going to live or know how you’re going to act and dress and talk in your new life, but when you’re in the midst of this big of a change, I can guarantee that you’ll find something else to worry about. 

These anxieties aren’t just about getting a job — they’re about confronting the unknown. We have no choice but to let time pass. You can fight it or try to ignore it, but it’s true. 

The thing is though, no matter what you do with that time, it’s going to be okay. I promise!

Here’s to us!

– Sincere&Bold