Last week my staff and I spent both first-year move-in days handing out our orientation week issue — a yearly tradition at The Cord.
My video editor, Sarah Tyler, came up to me and nostalgically said, “This is our last first-day at Laurier.”
And with that thought, many of us entering our fourth or final year realized this would be the last time a lot of us would be participating in the many Cord traditions — such as move in day — that we’ve taken part in for the past several years.
I think a lot of my peers who are also entering their final year at Laurier can agree that it’s both an exciting and scary phase.
I spent a lot of the past few years dreaming about the moment my undergrad would be done, especially in the midst of managing the stress of midterms and essays and exams each term.
As I enter my fourth-year at Laurier, I can’t help but begin to think about what I might do or where I might go once I’m done my degree.
The options are endless.
And with these endless options comes a feeling of uncertainty. As a result, I can’t help but wish that I started asking myself important questions surrounding my time after Laurier a long time ago.
As an english student, I’m beginning to wonder what sort of jobs I might be able to get and whether or not I’ll have to work towards another degree in order to accomplish my goals of becoming a journalist.
With the job market — in all career fields — so tough for everyone coming out of post-secondary institutions, I spent a lot of last week questioning whether or not completing an english degree was the right choice and whether or not I should begin applying to graduate programs.
Amidst my inability to find clear answers to these questions, it can be easy to panic. I know a lot of people who are feeling the same unease.
However, I think it’s important to find a balance between asking these important questions and thinking about our futures after Laurier while still being able to enjoy the last year we have here.
Whether it’s applying for jobs, internships, volunteering opportunities, grad school, or taking a year off — there are so many open options for us after Laurier. And although it might seem like an uncertain time, it’s also exciting to know that we’ll all come across new opportunities once we leave university.
