Random Post 2

The End of the Beginning

This weekend, in combination with Easter and the start of spring, I gave a lot of thought to my time at USC ending and how the hard part of life is about to begin. As the new season and end of college are just around the corner, I'm struggling to come to terms with what my future will be.

Life so far has been a series of phases, from elementary school to middle school to high school and on to college. I remember the feeling of excitement from graduating from each phase, my responsibilities increasing along with my freedoms - but with each phase, I knew there was another ladder to climb up and a lot of fun to come along the way. I remember my first feelings of stress and anxiety that came with applying to middle schools and high schools, which were minimal compared to the task of getting into college. With all of that behind me now, it's daunting to look ahead to life in the workforce and how my accomplishments will be measured.

The recent phases of high school and college included many life milestones and achievements like getting my driver's license, starting to travel alone and leaving home for college, working through internships that landed me a job, and the social thrills of joining a fraternity and meeting so many new people. I backpacked in the Sierra Nevadas solo for a few days and in Idaho for weeks, which proved to me that I could survive anything anywhere.

All of these achievements mark a new level of maturity improving my character. I've slowly accomplished some of the most influential and fun aspects that college and life advertise, and now I face the end goal: the start of real life. Work and accomplishments from here on out won't deliver the same intrinsic value that the accomplishments of growing up did. Now, a promotion reflects the value you've brought to a firm, and that doesn't correlate to any personal maturing or accomplishment. I'm nervous to give up control over what it means to accomplish something and I'm worried if I can survive in an environment that I don't control. 

There are just a few weeks left of college and then a couple of months before I start work. I'm trying to plan what to do in that little amount of time that will prepare me for this next phase: real life. I've heard advice from parents and family friends about trying my hardest in my twenties because it will make the rest of life a lot easier. It's a lot to prepare for when I don't know exactly what that means, like the clear actions that getting accepted to high school or college meant. There's no clear definition of success after college which is what makes the next phase daunting but also exciting.

The next big phases I'd like to graduate from are no longer being at the bottom of the totem pole at work, attending graduate school, marriage, and having children. These goals are far down the line, but I feel the need to plan out my steps now to accomplish them. The next phase of life has endless opportunity and no clear path - it's something I need to create for myself.