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Fresno State's student-run newspaper

The Collegian

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Fresno State's student-run newspaper

The Collegian

Fresno State's student-run newspaper

The Collegian

Yes%2C+I+know+Im+graduating+--+no%2C+I+dont+know+what+my+plan+is

Yes, I know I’m graduating — no, I don’t know what my plan is

I say this on behalf of all eventual college graduates — please stop asking us what our plans are post-graduation.

There are a few reasons for this, the first being that only a solid half of graduates know what their plans are going to be. The other reason for our frustration stems from the fact that we are exiting our haven for the last two to five years with the demand for experience we don’t yet have.

Unfortunately, all most of us have is a piece of paper that cost about $20,000. We also have the skills and experiences from college and the willpower to move past doubts that millennials will not be able to survive in the real world.

It’s understandable that parents, significant others and friends might be curious about what “the plan” is after college. However, this conflicts with another conversation happening amongst those about to graduate, revolving around trusting the process and overcoming the feeling of impending doom that accompanies entering the workforce.

The pressure to know exactly what you’re doing after graduation is more prevalent than ever — and unfortunately, with the influx of pressure, there doesn’t appear to be an influx of jobs.

Another factor contributing to graduation anxiety is the reality of “the boomerang generation.” It seems almost inevitable that after graduating college, we are destined to move back in with our parents, reclaiming the childhood rooms we might have left behind all those years ago.

Is there enough room in your childhood twin bed for your parents’ expectations to be moved out and financially independent within half a year?

Millennials aren’t asking to be completely shed of their reputation for being glued to their phones, but are asking to be treated with the respect and patience their parents were given when entering the workforce. People like to pretend that things are exactly the same as they were decades ago, that after college students need a well-paying job with benefits and have their mortgages in place.

Where does the generalization that all millennials need instant gratification and constant praise from others come from? The competing dialogues do nothing but fuel whatever lingering aggression some baby boomers have toward those about to graduate college and enter the real world.

Unfortunately, acknowledging the bizarre aggression potential employers may have toward new graduates will not solve the problem.

Because our entire generation has been generalized by some critics as lazy and self-serving, we must surmount the expectations and work hard to make our mark in the emerging workforce.

We can’t just shake off every single question that arises in regards to our eventual career goals.

The skeptical glare from grandparents everywhere is enough to stir fear in even the bravest of souls — but we must cling to our potential and wholeheartedly follow through with what we truly want to do, regardless of that doubt.

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