It’s bittersweet. The ending of college and the start to the rest of my life… (or so I hope). I feel like just yesterday it was pouring down rain and my parents were dropping me off at Washington Hall on East Green Drive. After quickly building two loft beds, laying down a carpet, building a futon and putting the extra-long twin sheets and two memory foam pads on that dorm room bed, I was pushing the parents out the door and ready to go meet my floor mates. No sooner were Mom and Dad at the Ohio University Inn and I was meeting up with my best friend and a guy I went to high school with, along with his roommate and we were on our way uptown for the first “Athens” experience. I had freedom, no one was telling me what to do, where to go or what time to be promptly home. It was weird. Really weird. I was that girl in high school who always had the curfew, never rebelled, and rarely missed a day of school and suddenly I was on my own, able to stay out till 3 a.m. and come and go as I pleased. How does someone handle this type of freedom overnight? After about a week I started to get used to the fact that I was my own boss. After a quarter, I had it down pact. Now here I am, four years later and instead of setting up a loft and a futon, I am going to be undressing the double bed and moving out the couches, reverting back to the time where I had to be home by 12:30 sharp and always say where I am going and when I will be home.
In four weeks college is over and its back to the good ol’ homestead, unless this job market turns around. I have spoke with many of my fellow classmates and no one seems to have any idea what they are doing. Sure, there are a few girls and guys who have gotten lucky and landed their dream job. There are others that are up and moving to the big city they have always wanted to live in because they have the funds to do it. There are some who are almost there, so close and waiting on the offer letter and then of course, there are the others who are waiting for the perfect fit and moving home in the mean time.
As tough as it has been to find a job, I can’t complain that I don’t have ANY leads, because I do. I have been very lucky with the people I have gotten to speak with. Unfortunately, they can’t hire me right now nor do they know anyone else who is hiring. But I know it is great that I am meeting these people because who knows, two or three years from now, Alyssa from the Indiana Pacers may have something for me. Melissa from Octagon may have an opening or one of the many others may know someone, who knows someone, who knows of an opening at Nike and can get me my dream job. I believe everything is going to make full circle, eventually. Although I do not have my dream job (or any job) yet, I think it is important to keep looking and to enjoy the last four weeks here at OU. As someone once told me, “Trace Adkins was right, you are going to miss this.”
So all of you recent college grads who are worried about moving back home for a little bit or worried about not being employed yet, don’t worry, everything will be okay one day. But for now, take it all in and remember what it was like to be a freshman. Remember the past four years and think about how they have helped shape you. This is what is really important, remember these moments and good luck with everything in your future.
Standing on the Starting Line 