Graduation is slowly approaching and with it comes a new sense of freedom. You’ve been in school for as long as you can remember and even might be continuing your education at a graduate school or even longer. Students are beginning to realize that that 9-5 job in an office somewhere is always going to be there but you’re only young once.

Consider it…

Of course, there are students who already know what they want to do and have known for quite a long period of time. Some students are so determined and aware of their future aspirations early on while others are still sorting things out throughout their college years and beyond. The important thing is that everyone is different and some people may make their decisions early, while others take a little longer in the decision-making process. It is totally okay if you still aren’t sure exactly what job you want right out of college. Using the time for yourself and exploring different areas can be more beneficial to you in the long run.

“Entry Level” jobs

By now, we all know that when companies say “entry level position” they don’t really mean it. If you haven’t had time to juggle being a full time student and undertaking an internship during your junior or senior year using this extra time for landing a great internship is a good idea. You won’t have school to worry about and that means you can focus solely on the job.

What do you want to do?

A lot of student take a gap year to travel the world and experience new things. You’ve just spent a lot of time (and money) getting that degree so, before the student loan payments start coming in the mail, enjoy it! You don’t have to spend countless time on flights either. Consider a cross-country road trip to see parts of the US you never have or simply lay around in bed all day. You deserve it.

“If I don’t go to grad school now, I’ll never g0”

Lots of people have this mindset- and thats okay! If you recognize that you need to dive straight in to working towards another degree that works too! Don’t feel pressure to take a gap year if all your friends are doing it.

Don’t panic

Once graduation looms closer, may students start to panic about not having a stable job lined up after graduation or not even knowing what kind of job they want.  Although it may seem to them that everyone else has a job or knows the direction they want to take after college, the truth is that many new graduates are in the same boat as you. During these stressful times, it is important to remember that sometimes the best decision to make is to avoid making one that might negatively impact your life later. Don’t take the first job offer you get and don’t turn the dream one down because you’re not sure if its a good fit.