The birds chirp and the flowers bloom...well, ideally, that is what would happen. However, I live in Chicago. Therefore, the scenario would be something like....
You wake up to sunny weather at 7:30 in the morning, a brisk wind to accompany it followed by a HAIL STORM just a few hours later.
Trust me, I probably can change clothes faster and more efficiently than a 90's Bollywood heroine in the middle of a duet in Switzerland.
But, the weather is not the point here...Its going to be May, and irrespective of what your definition of spring is, graduation is right around the corner.
Most people are usually overjoyed at graduating, whether it be high school or college, and all with fair reason! It is an accomplishment to be proud of! For most high schoolers, graduation opens up a whole world of possibilities...the idea of this magical place called 'College'. It is quite exciting!
That is until you slog through four years of debt and learn absolutely nothing while trying to find the meaning of life through cooking...and then suddenly, you somehow make it out unscathed and alive. Now what?
That question of now what has been burning a hole in my mind for the past three months. As much as I hate to admit it, college has given me a structure to depend on. A set of classes, homework, sleep, the occasional socials, parties, friends, etc etc. Its a lifestyle of independence that is dependent. What is going to happen without this structure? Where do I go from here? The fear that is handed to us along with our diplomas is not something that most people discuss. But its there and its a very pressing matter. So, for all my fellow graduating students, here is a little motivation to keep that chin up and keep trying.
1. College hasn't prepared you: Face it, you might have gone to the best university out there and learned the best things out there, but there will always be something that you were not prepared for. Whether it happens now or later, that fall is inevitable. So when it does happen, just pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep moving forward. Know that you aren't the only one who fell and you wont be the last one to fall.
2. Utopia: We usually segregate ourselves from the "real world". Well, the real world is here, and its happening now. There is no optimistic utopia that you have yet to find. However, that optimistic utopia can be achieved through your hard work. So don't pretend that you are not yet in the real world, rather accept the fate that has been given to you and change it to something that you can live in.
3. Be smart: Hard work is only 50% of the battle. Knowing how, when and who to talk to makes a huge difference. The world is an extroverted place, if you don't know how to network then learn it..and learn it soon. The smarter you are, the faster you move up.
4. Trust no one: In today's world, no one can be trusted, except maybe your grandmother. I'm serious! People will do ANYTHING to get to the top and if that means throwing you under the bus, so be it. Be nice to people, but be cautioned as well.
5. Its not as depressing as I make it to seem: Life is actually quite enjoyable. Have fun, take risks, make sure you have interesting stories and life lessons to tell your kids and grand kids some day. Don't forget your family, friends, pets etc. Be thankful and learn to forgive. Smile more every day and lastly, know that you can survive. Its been done before..and you can do it too. The world is a big scary place only when you make it seem big and scary. Your life is in your hands, just be equipped to meet the struggles and you can overcome them!
Now, I don't claim to be an expert on any of these things, but I do believe with all my heart that life is what we make of it. We are all going to die one day, but there is a difference when a person who just lets time take his life dies and when a person who lets life take his time dies.
There are so many beautiful, exciting things to see and to do as this new chapter opens up. So keep on striding forward! Congratulations to the wonderful Class of 2015. May the force be with you ;)
You wake up to sunny weather at 7:30 in the morning, a brisk wind to accompany it followed by a HAIL STORM just a few hours later.
Trust me, I probably can change clothes faster and more efficiently than a 90's Bollywood heroine in the middle of a duet in Switzerland.
But, the weather is not the point here...Its going to be May, and irrespective of what your definition of spring is, graduation is right around the corner.
Most people are usually overjoyed at graduating, whether it be high school or college, and all with fair reason! It is an accomplishment to be proud of! For most high schoolers, graduation opens up a whole world of possibilities...the idea of this magical place called 'College'. It is quite exciting!
That is until you slog through four years of debt and learn absolutely nothing while trying to find the meaning of life through cooking...and then suddenly, you somehow make it out unscathed and alive. Now what?
That question of now what has been burning a hole in my mind for the past three months. As much as I hate to admit it, college has given me a structure to depend on. A set of classes, homework, sleep, the occasional socials, parties, friends, etc etc. Its a lifestyle of independence that is dependent. What is going to happen without this structure? Where do I go from here? The fear that is handed to us along with our diplomas is not something that most people discuss. But its there and its a very pressing matter. So, for all my fellow graduating students, here is a little motivation to keep that chin up and keep trying.
1. College hasn't prepared you: Face it, you might have gone to the best university out there and learned the best things out there, but there will always be something that you were not prepared for. Whether it happens now or later, that fall is inevitable. So when it does happen, just pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep moving forward. Know that you aren't the only one who fell and you wont be the last one to fall.
2. Utopia: We usually segregate ourselves from the "real world". Well, the real world is here, and its happening now. There is no optimistic utopia that you have yet to find. However, that optimistic utopia can be achieved through your hard work. So don't pretend that you are not yet in the real world, rather accept the fate that has been given to you and change it to something that you can live in.
3. Be smart: Hard work is only 50% of the battle. Knowing how, when and who to talk to makes a huge difference. The world is an extroverted place, if you don't know how to network then learn it..and learn it soon. The smarter you are, the faster you move up.
4. Trust no one: In today's world, no one can be trusted, except maybe your grandmother. I'm serious! People will do ANYTHING to get to the top and if that means throwing you under the bus, so be it. Be nice to people, but be cautioned as well.
5. Its not as depressing as I make it to seem: Life is actually quite enjoyable. Have fun, take risks, make sure you have interesting stories and life lessons to tell your kids and grand kids some day. Don't forget your family, friends, pets etc. Be thankful and learn to forgive. Smile more every day and lastly, know that you can survive. Its been done before..and you can do it too. The world is a big scary place only when you make it seem big and scary. Your life is in your hands, just be equipped to meet the struggles and you can overcome them!
Now, I don't claim to be an expert on any of these things, but I do believe with all my heart that life is what we make of it. We are all going to die one day, but there is a difference when a person who just lets time take his life dies and when a person who lets life take his time dies.
There are so many beautiful, exciting things to see and to do as this new chapter opens up. So keep on striding forward! Congratulations to the wonderful Class of 2015. May the force be with you ;)
