To anyone who is of an age where they have left school,
completed a college course, or finished a university degree, I can guarantee
that you will have been asked what is perhaps the most common question amongst
16-21 year olds; the dreaded question, the repetitive question and the question
that you just don’t have the answer to; “So… what’s the plan now you’re
entering the big wide world?”
I finished university over a year ago. I studied English
Literature as I have always loved to read and write for as long as I can
remember. After completing my degree I was entirely aware that I would soon,
like many others, be entering what has been commonly called the ‘real’ world.
Have I, unbeknownst to myself, been living in some university bubble that exists in
a parallel universe? Perhaps.
Anyway, like I said, I was completely aware that this was my
last summer holiday and my remaining moments of freedom. So, I went to New York and had the
most incredible time any 21 year old could ask for. I cried at the airport when
I left and I’m not even ashamed to admit that sometimes when I hear Alicia
Keys’ “New York”,
my eyes well up.
When I arrived home I felt satisfied with my time off and couldn’t
decide whether to save up some money to go travelling, go in to further education
or to begin the search for a job. However, in the time I spent trying to figure
out how to make my next move, I kept hearing the same gripes from those around
me; the fear and worry of the unknown. I too had these concerns.
Now I can’t speak for everyone here but I know that for a
lot of people we have had our educational map planned out for us, whether you
leave school early or you stay right through until your 20’s. I am a huge
believer in obtaining as much education as you possibly can. However, as we
spend such a large proportion of our lives learning, by the time we get our
hands around that yearbook or put on our graduation cap, we are finally free to
choose our own paths. Since leaving university I have frequently heard a mix of
fear, worry and excitement from those around me who too shared my position.
How many of you have heard somebody say that they are going travelling after seeing pictures uploaded of an old school friend splashing around
on a beach in Australia? Or what about the jobs your friends keep getting and
you fear you’ll get left behind? And how about the studious family friend who
has decided to do an MA? After not only hearing these stories, but also seeing
them play out in front of you via social networking sites, it is no wonder that
people have become so fearful.
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I believe that we live in a world where we expect life to be
on demand. Our generation has grown up in a world full of technological advances
where everything happens at an instant; be it at the click of a mouse,
the tap of a keyboard or the press of button. It is in my view that because of
our physical and emotional dependence on technology that we apply the same
mindset to our own lives. If the remote control is a bit slow we get
frustrated, when the computer crashes we grunt and when we have no signal we
feel deserted. In the same way, when we say goodbye to education we expect the
next step to be instantly there, but that’s just not the case. Life doesn’t
happen at the press of a button, it’s just that we are part of a ‘we want it
now’ culture.
Everyone reading this will be in a different position to the
other. Some will have a job, some will be looking and others don’t know what
they’re looking for. However, what most of you will have in common is that feeling
of uncertainty which lurks in the pit of your stomach when confronted with that
unanswerable question.
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I will admit that when I want something I want it right
away. Is this impatience or determination? Perhaps it is a mixture of the two.
However, what I have come to realise and am still in the process of learning,
is the importance of having balance. Just because you don’t go travelling this
year doesn’t mean you won’t go the next, and even though you have lost your job
it doesn’t mean that you won’t find another. If we remember to take a step back
from time to time and just let things happen, we might find the unknown a
little less scary. The facts are, we don’t know what will happen next, life
could change tomorrow or it might stay the same for ten years. So, when a
chapter closes and you turn the page to the next installment, you might be
confronted with blank pages. But perhaps, sometimes it’s ok to let the pages
write themselves.
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