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College Transitions: Opportunities, “What If”s, and Handling it All

Last Updated on January 31, 2019 by Sarah - LSU
This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you purchase through our links. Please read our full disclosure here.

When you think about the future, you probably think about the job you want, maybe kids, possibly what kind of house you want, paper or plastic… the usual stuff. But how are you going to get there? What are you majoring in? Are you going to go to grad school after college? Law school? Beauty school? Electrician school? So many decisions! What if you have absolutely no idea what you want, but you are willing to try almost anything? But, again, how are you going to get there? Better yet, where is there? Do I sound like a lunatic at this point?

If you are in a point of transition in your life, those questions may have flashed through your head. Whether you are about to graduate high school, finally declare your major, or decide what to do once college is over (*tear*), you’ll probably come down with a case of the freak outs. My graduation day is coming up in May and I have already had a few deer-in-the-headlights moments. I know exactly what I want to do, but what if it doesn’t happen the way I want it to? What if my “plan” goes to shambles and I am left jobless, passionless, and future-less?

Opportunities are rare and usually come in a form that we didn’t imagine. Once you figure out what you want, you can do everything in your power to get it, but sometimes your fate is up to other people. That is a really vulnerable place to be, my friends.

What If?

That one phrase is perhaps the worst combination of words in the universe. Everyone always says that they don’t want regrets and that it’s best to keep the “what if”s at bay, but when you’re faced with the unknown, it’s all too easy to start thinking things like this….

What if I don’t get that job?

What if I made the wrong decision?

What if I don’t recognize an opportunity when it is placed in front of me?

What if I am too clueless to see the black hole leading to Wonderland and miss out on meeting the Cheshire Cat?

What “They” Say:

“They” – AKA the group of people that comes up with all of these generalizations about life – “they” say that “you just know” when the right opportunity comes knocking.  There are so many quotes in that last sentence that I don’t know what to do with myself. Moving on…

As cliched as the above advice may sound, I really think that “they” have a point – but I also think it goes a little bit further than “just knowing.” Let me rephrase: How do you know when the right opportunity comes knocking? When you realize that it’s not exactly what you had expected, but it is suddenly exactly what you want. It just feels right.

So how about THESE “what if”s…

Lightbulb

Photo Credit

Given the above advice, how about we rephrase those first “what ifs” as well?

What if you do get that job?

What if you did make the right decision?

What if you did recognize an opportunity when it was placed in front of you?

What if you jumped in the black hole headfirst and were excited to go to Wonderland?

What I mean is…

Life is a huge web of choices. Good, bad, neutral. But you know what? In the end, it all works out the way it’s supposed to. Yes, there are missed opportunities, but there will always be plenty of chances to make up for them. You just have to keep pushing forward, working your hardest, and being the best version of yourself that you can. And when you spot the right opportunity, go for it.

The best way I can explain it is through one of my favorite movie quotes of all time:

magorium

“Life is an occasion. Rise to it.” from Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium

Well put, Mr. Magorium, well put.

Thoughts?

How do you deal with transitions in your life? How do you weigh opportunities? How do you know you’re on the right track? Let us know in the comments!

8 Comments
Originally published on December 11, 2011
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Comments

  1. hadassah says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:04 pm

    Ah! Well said indeed! I graduated early this year and now on a mandatory 1 yr service to my country. I constantly hear the what ifs and its scary to dwell on it. But deep inside I know everything will work out.:-)

    Reply
  2. hadassah says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:04 pm

    Ah yes! Well said indeed! I graduated early this year and now on a mandatory 1 yr service to my country. I constantly hear the what ifs and its scary to dwell on it. But deep inside I know everything will work out.:-)

    Reply
  3. Caitlin says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:04 pm

    I graduate in May, too–total mix of excitement/sheer terror. It’s good to know we all go through this, and I love your rephrasing of the what ifs to focus on the positive!

    Great article! Stay strong fellow Transitioners 🙂

    Reply
  4. runawaystudent14 says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:04 pm

    😀 everything will work out!

    Reply
  5. T says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:04 pm

    I was actually getting a lot of ‘what ifs’ lately,
    at least with this, I’m all assured ahaaa, thankss!

    Reply
  6. Isa Adney says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:04 pm

    Great article Sarah! I graduated almost 3 years ago now and when I did I felt so lost and alone and thought I was the only one. Below are the top 3 things that helped me:

    #1 You are not alone. Keep talking about this and remember everyone goes through this and almost no one figures it out after college or finds the perfect job. It takes a lot of time. Every successful person I’ve ever talked to said they didn’t have it figured out after college. It takes the kind of learning and growth that only happens on the job. So any job will teach you tons and help you further on your path to figuring it out 🙂

    #2 Live the adventure. I read this in a biography of Walt Disney called How to Be Like Walt. I love to have things planned so not knowing where my life was headed made me physically ill. This quote had a huge impact on me and helped me to remember life is an adventure. An adventure to talk about, learn from, and grow from. An adventure to live to the fullest with joy, integrity, and excellence – even when things are really really hard.

    #3 Find a mentor. I couldn’t have made it through that transition (and in many ways after 3 years I’m still trying to figure it out) without incredible professional adults in my life in the profession to which I aspired. Find people who you admire and/or who do what you want to do and ask for their advice. Build and continue that relationship. It will offer much comfort and often a source of great opportunity.

    Best of luck to all of you! If you ever feel alone in that transition feel free to contact me and I’ll remind you that you’re not alone 🙂

    Reply
  7. Alanna says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:03 pm

    This year, I’ve been bugged by that statement: “What if…” It is nerve-wracking. I already had a solid plan even before entering college (I am already in my 3rd year, 2nd semester) but lately, the “solid” plan I knew begins to shift. My mom goes with the idea of me entering med school after I finish nursing. It’s not that I am totally against it, because I gotta admit there are times when I consider it.

    What if..

    Anyways, thank you so much for posting this article, I really, REALLY appreciate it. ?

    P.S. that line from that movie makes me want to watch it..

    Reply
  8. Chloe says

    April 15, 2019 at 11:06 am

    This is a great article! Of the life decisions that you feel like you have to make the first day you start college can be really overwhelming! Remember its your life, and your dreams!

    Reply

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