It’s that time of year again: The time when every adult you know is asking “what are your doing this summer?” “What are your plans for after graduation?” And for many of us, it’s the time of year we die a little inside, put on a smile and try to hide the fear of uncertainty.
At this point, I’m envious of my friends in the business school, many of whom have had jobs lined up since the fall. It would be so nice to have had one less thing to worry about during midterms. But searching for jobs now also means that I have just a little more experience and knowledge to help guide me.
I now know what I’m better qualified for. I have more skills I can add to my resume, more research projects and community partners I can draw from for cover letters and interview questions. And you probably have more experience, too.
So if you’re like me, and you’re stressed about what you’re doing after May, for just the summer, for a year or two until grad school or for the foreseeable future: it’s okay.
Stress is a normal part of life. You’ve survived the stress of college applications because you got here. You survived the stress of finals and midterms, maybe with a few grade casualties along the way, but you did it.
You also have a great opportunity to deal with that stress: Spring Break. While you may already have plans, you’ll probably have some free time to make the most of your situation.
If you handle stress like me, it might be helpful to take some of that time and work on applications. Come back to Elon University in a week with the comforting knowledge that you took advantage of the extra free time to help create the life you want after Elon.
But it’s okay if you want to use spring break as an actual break, too. You’ve been sending out applications on top of turning in midterms and being that special brand of Elon overcommitted. It’s okay to take one week to not think about the future. Dwelling on the uncertainty to a point of debilitation won’t help you send out applications. You should try to come back to Elon refreshed and ready to get back to work.
Use your spring break for you. Whatever that means, there will be help for you when you come back to Elon. We have access to some pretty amazing resources like the Student Professional Development Center. Our professors are also a great source of wisdom and advice, even if it’s not always exactly what we want to hear.
Getting a job is difficult. Getting one you think you won’t completely hate can be even harder. Spring break is upon us. Use it wisely, whether that means getting your resume ready to be looked over at the SPDC or letting yourself enjoy spring break without job worries. Make life a little easier on yourself by being productive over break, whatever that means for you.