As graduation approaches, it is OK to not have it all figured out

As I race toward the finish line of my time at CSB+SJU, I cannot help but acknowledge the role my professors played in both my academic achievement and development as a socially aware and well-rounded individual. Without their support, it is unlikely I would have discovered my love for academia nor recognized the intrinsic value of education.

Despite my immense appreciation for the education I’ve received at CSB+SJU, I’ve recently engaged in conversations with classmates about the increasing feeling of inadequacy plaguing the senior class. This unsettling feeling, in my opinion, is in response to the unintentional proliferation of a narrative implying the need to “have your life and career all figured out” ahead of graduation.

It is so easy, I’ve come to realize, to compare your success to your peers. As seniors, it is often difficult to open your phone and read about your fellow classmates landing full-time positions, accepting graduate school offers or somehow having the rest of their life figured out with more than six months to graduation. Just because you cannot open your LinkedIn without reading anecdotes about your peers does not mean your experiences are in any way less valid. The popularity hierarchy that amplifies certain student voices is not representative of the entire student body.

As a consumer of social media, I both love and loathe platforms such as LinkedIn. On one hand, I appreciate celebrating the success of my friends and sharing my own achievements with potential employers. At the same time, however, it becomes impossible to avoid comparing myself to others, inadvertently making me doubt my decision to major in the liberal arts rather than something with a direct degree-to-employment pipeline, like accounting or nursing.

Ultimately, however, a job offer is not the only indicator of student success. It is somewhat disheartening that we fail to acknowledge students’ achievements in areas of academic research, internships, student publications or advancement in a specific type of study the way we highlight job placements.

Students studying the humanities prepare for a variety of interdisciplinary positions in areas such as law, marketing, teaching, entrepeneurship and management. The liberal arts does not limit students; instead, it affords individuals the opportunity for holistic growth and comprehensive academic development. Though your LinkedIn feed may be cluttered with posts about job placements and post-graduation plans, know that the majority of students don’t have the rest of their life figured out by December of their senior year.

The loudest voices do not necessarly further a narrative universal to the student experience. In fact, such narritives have the potential to cause more harm than good. In their final semester of college, students should not be stressed comparing themselves to their peers. We should be taking advantage of opportunities for personal and academic growth, exploring the ways our individuality and unique interests contribute to the campus community.

In short, enjoy the rest of your college experience — it will go by fast. Take the time to thank the professors that fostered your love of a certain subject, and stop comparing yourself to other students. Your experiences and achievements are equally as important as everyone else’s, even if your story isn’t shared as widely.