Class of 2022, if you feel lost, feel it with confidence

It’s difficult to face college graduation without feeling anxious for the life that awaits. 

To live a life for the first time in 15+ years that exists outside the world of academia can bring a lot of confusion and restlessness. Most of us will most likely not be employed in our desired job field right out of school. You may feel panicked, hoping the sleepless nights consumed by homework will be recognized and rewarded in the “real world.” 

Suddenly school is no longer the center of life. How do we steady ourselves when the anchor is no longer in our grasp? You may feel pressured to dive head first into the adult world, to find a steady nine to five, or buy a house, or set your sights on finances, or start having kids before you’re 30. But you don’t, and shouldn’t, have to pursue what you feel pressured to – you have the right to follow your own path. You can further your education and continue to graduate school, or get settled into the workforce. You can travel the world or fall in love. Or you can run off and join the circus if that’s more your speed. You don’t have to be “there” yet. Allow yourself time to fall back into a healthy sleep schedule, to enjoy hobbies and friendships you never had time for. If you trust yourself and where your gut is telling you to go, you won’t be led astray.

No matter the path we choose to pursue post college, we need to ride the wheel of life for all that it’s worth, to accept the ups and downs and take them in stride. It is okay if you feel lost. You can lose confidence. 

Not knowing for sure what is around the corner can provoke anxiety, and it can also be exciting. Your life is entirely up to you, and now it is yours outside of the confines of homework assignments and tuition costs. Of course you will have to work and make payments for the rest of your life, but now you are geared up to face a new world with years worth of education backing you up, as well as experience and wisdom gained from your college career. Your degree will help get you experience and open up doors you never imagined you’d walk through.

Yale alumnus and innovation and leadership advisor Navi Radjou says, “remember: your best academic counselor and career advisor is your heart.” Each of you has something unique that the world needs. You have worked hard to craft skills and knowledge that will do something special because they are skills and knowledge wielded by you. And they would mean nothing without your heart and mind, and their power. 

Only you can define what a meaningful life means for you. Don’t be afraid to be proud and show what you’ve got, or to fall flat on your face. Be open to whatever may be presented to you, and be brave enough to have faith in yourself and the choices you make.