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What do i do after college?
What major should I do or mabey should I not do college at all.
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5 answers
Updated
Aisha’s Answer
Hi Hailey! College graduates stand at a point in life where they can go in many different directions. Many want to enter (or stay in) a 9-to-5 job immediately because a college degree opens the door to higher pay and better opportunities.
However, that’s not the case with everyone. Many Excelsior College graduates have personal goals they want to reach with a degree. Some want experiences after graduation unlike anything they’ll find working an office job. And why not? You’ve earned the right to make the choice that’s right for you.
Take a Gap Year
This is the traditional path people take after graduation (or sometimes the year between high school and college). A gap year provides time for exploration and travel, often to travel to another country and experience a different culture. There are also plenty of opportunities in the United States to travel to a new place and experience a different culture. In either case, a gap year provides an opportunity for new experiences and the chance to meet new people.
Pursue Your Passion
The time after college graduation is perfect for following a passion. An excellent way to accomplish this is with an internship or part-time job. It’s much easier to work in the film industry, book publishing, theater, wildlife conservation, on political campaigns—or wherever your passions take you—without having to land a full-time job. Many people end up settling into careers before exploring what they genuinely love. An internship or volunteering affords you the opportunity to explore a passion and see if it’s a fit for you. Internships and part-time positions also can turn into full-time jobs.
Go to Graduate School
Why not take time to focus your skills in one area and earn a master’s degree? This opens the door to the top jobs in their career field for many people. The job site Indeed calls earning a master’s degree “a fantastic option for those who know they need a postgraduate education to meet their long-term career goals.” There are also many affordable graduate programs available online.
Teach Abroad
One of the best ways to travel to other countries is working as an English as a second language teacher. Language schools in other countries rarely require teaching experience or a degree in education—a bachelor’s degree in any subject will do. Teaching abroad allows students to develop another skill set while enjoying the experience of a different country and culture.
Become An Entrepreneur
If the theme of many of these choices is “take a chance while you can,” then it especially applies to becoming an entrepreneur. It takes time to ramp up a new business. The time before settling into a 9-to-5 job and a career is the perfect time to focus entirely on starting your own business and deciding whether it’s the right path for you. Many people who get a taste of becoming their own boss never work again for anyone else.
Volunteer for Peace Corps
Volunteering is an important part of life at any time, but the time after graduation is one where you can focus on it exclusively. The Peace Corps works to improve lives in other countries. In the U.S., options include AmeriCorps and Teach for America.
Hopefully, these ideas provide a good starting place for those trying to decide what to do after college. The working world is always there, waiting. But having the time after graduation to meet new people, expand your skills, experience a new culture, and follow your passion is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
However, that’s not the case with everyone. Many Excelsior College graduates have personal goals they want to reach with a degree. Some want experiences after graduation unlike anything they’ll find working an office job. And why not? You’ve earned the right to make the choice that’s right for you.
Take a Gap Year
This is the traditional path people take after graduation (or sometimes the year between high school and college). A gap year provides time for exploration and travel, often to travel to another country and experience a different culture. There are also plenty of opportunities in the United States to travel to a new place and experience a different culture. In either case, a gap year provides an opportunity for new experiences and the chance to meet new people.
Pursue Your Passion
The time after college graduation is perfect for following a passion. An excellent way to accomplish this is with an internship or part-time job. It’s much easier to work in the film industry, book publishing, theater, wildlife conservation, on political campaigns—or wherever your passions take you—without having to land a full-time job. Many people end up settling into careers before exploring what they genuinely love. An internship or volunteering affords you the opportunity to explore a passion and see if it’s a fit for you. Internships and part-time positions also can turn into full-time jobs.
Go to Graduate School
Why not take time to focus your skills in one area and earn a master’s degree? This opens the door to the top jobs in their career field for many people. The job site Indeed calls earning a master’s degree “a fantastic option for those who know they need a postgraduate education to meet their long-term career goals.” There are also many affordable graduate programs available online.
Teach Abroad
One of the best ways to travel to other countries is working as an English as a second language teacher. Language schools in other countries rarely require teaching experience or a degree in education—a bachelor’s degree in any subject will do. Teaching abroad allows students to develop another skill set while enjoying the experience of a different country and culture.
Become An Entrepreneur
If the theme of many of these choices is “take a chance while you can,” then it especially applies to becoming an entrepreneur. It takes time to ramp up a new business. The time before settling into a 9-to-5 job and a career is the perfect time to focus entirely on starting your own business and deciding whether it’s the right path for you. Many people who get a taste of becoming their own boss never work again for anyone else.
Volunteer for Peace Corps
Volunteering is an important part of life at any time, but the time after graduation is one where you can focus on it exclusively. The Peace Corps works to improve lives in other countries. In the U.S., options include AmeriCorps and Teach for America.
Hopefully, these ideas provide a good starting place for those trying to decide what to do after college. The working world is always there, waiting. But having the time after graduation to meet new people, expand your skills, experience a new culture, and follow your passion is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Updated
Scott’s Answer
Hi Hailey! It's great to hear that you're thinking about your future after college. There are a lot of options available to you, so it's completely understandable to feel a bit overwhelmed. My advice would be to start by thinking about what interests you the most. What are you passionate about? What are your strengths? Consider exploring different majors and career paths that align with those interests and strengths.
It's also important to keep in mind that you don't necessarily have to go to college to be successful. There are plenty of successful people who have pursued other paths, such as entrepreneurship or vocational training. Ultimately, the most important thing is to find a path that makes you happy and fulfilled.
Don't be afraid to take risks and try new things. College can be a great opportunity to explore your interests and gain new experiences. Keep an open mind and don't be afraid to ask for help or guidance along the way.
I believe in you, Hailey! With hard work, determination, and a positive attitude, you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Good luck on your journey!
It's also important to keep in mind that you don't necessarily have to go to college to be successful. There are plenty of successful people who have pursued other paths, such as entrepreneurship or vocational training. Ultimately, the most important thing is to find a path that makes you happy and fulfilled.
Don't be afraid to take risks and try new things. College can be a great opportunity to explore your interests and gain new experiences. Keep an open mind and don't be afraid to ask for help or guidance along the way.
I believe in you, Hailey! With hard work, determination, and a positive attitude, you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Good luck on your journey!
Updated
Arastun’s Answer
What helped me a lot was searching online (i.e., Google) to figure this out. Factors like work/life balance, salary, and other things are easily available through online searches and they have been very helpful. Even certain websites that searching leads to, like Glassdoor, provide this level of information with great depth and user feedback, as well as aggregate information of overall data.
Updated
Daniel’s Answer
Hi Hailey!
First things first - that's ok! Most people do not know what they want to do the rest of their lives and it can be stressful to think about. I felt the same way a couple of years ago right before I graduated high school. My suggestion is to go to a community college to obtain your basics. This will help you have time to try some different jobs in completely different fields. Also, by going to a community college you will be saving money and giving yourself more time to decide on a career/job while making progress on your degree. Don't let people put pressure on you that you have to decide now on the rest of your work life. I had a teacher in high school tell me that I would be a failure if I did not know what degree/career I wanted by the time I graduated high school. Well, I did not by graduation but decided a year later on what I wanted to do and absolutely love it (operations)
I really think business is a great field to go into since it keeps your options wide open. That way you are not committing to one specific field and find out later that you hate it. Some fields in business include:
1. Operations
2. Finance
3. Sales
4. Marketing
5. Human Resources
I decided to go into Business Operations since operations touches almost every facet of the organization. I enjoy the different challenges and operations also gives me the flexibility to try new things. Another great aspect about operations is they usually support the other divisions of an organization. Since, there are many divisions of an company if you do not enjoy one area its not a big deal since you can support other areas of the business.
Many larger companies will start you in a rotational analyst program. By doing this you will get to see usually 2-4 different sections of the business. Companies offer this to not only help you hone in on your career path but many companies have realized that if there employees actually enjoy their job they will get better overall performance.
Lastly, I know its hard but do your best not to stress out. Life is to short to waste time stressing out. Good luck on the journey!
First things first - that's ok! Most people do not know what they want to do the rest of their lives and it can be stressful to think about. I felt the same way a couple of years ago right before I graduated high school. My suggestion is to go to a community college to obtain your basics. This will help you have time to try some different jobs in completely different fields. Also, by going to a community college you will be saving money and giving yourself more time to decide on a career/job while making progress on your degree. Don't let people put pressure on you that you have to decide now on the rest of your work life. I had a teacher in high school tell me that I would be a failure if I did not know what degree/career I wanted by the time I graduated high school. Well, I did not by graduation but decided a year later on what I wanted to do and absolutely love it (operations)
I really think business is a great field to go into since it keeps your options wide open. That way you are not committing to one specific field and find out later that you hate it. Some fields in business include:
1. Operations
2. Finance
3. Sales
4. Marketing
5. Human Resources
I decided to go into Business Operations since operations touches almost every facet of the organization. I enjoy the different challenges and operations also gives me the flexibility to try new things. Another great aspect about operations is they usually support the other divisions of an organization. Since, there are many divisions of an company if you do not enjoy one area its not a big deal since you can support other areas of the business.
Many larger companies will start you in a rotational analyst program. By doing this you will get to see usually 2-4 different sections of the business. Companies offer this to not only help you hone in on your career path but many companies have realized that if there employees actually enjoy their job they will get better overall performance.
Lastly, I know its hard but do your best not to stress out. Life is to short to waste time stressing out. Good luck on the journey!
Updated
Rafeh’s Answer
To make the answer more actionable, you can follow these steps:
1. Create a study schedule: Allocate specific hours each day to study or improve your skills, and stick to this routine consistently.
2. Set breaks and relaxation time: Ensure you have designated periods for breaks and relaxation within your daily schedule to avoid burnout.
3. Conduct thorough research: Dedicate time to explore and gather information about your desired career field, such as necessary qualifications, growth opportunities, and industry trends.
4. Look for volunteering opportunities: Identify organizations or causes in your area of interest where you can volunteer to gain valuable experience and make connections.
5. Search and apply for internships: Actively look for internships in your desired career field by browsing job boards or company websites and apply to those that match your qualifications and interests.
6. Reflect on your passion and interests: Take time to analyze your passions, strengths, and personal values to better understand the type of career that will fulfill and motivate you.
7. Set career goals: Outline specific, measurable, and realistic short- and long-term goals for your career path, and use these objectives to guide your actions and decisions moving forward.
If you like studying human and their interactions so study psychology.
Choose that major which will help you in your career not just a specific job.
Think about how much you will make.
1. Create a study schedule: Allocate specific hours each day to study or improve your skills, and stick to this routine consistently.
2. Set breaks and relaxation time: Ensure you have designated periods for breaks and relaxation within your daily schedule to avoid burnout.
3. Conduct thorough research: Dedicate time to explore and gather information about your desired career field, such as necessary qualifications, growth opportunities, and industry trends.
4. Look for volunteering opportunities: Identify organizations or causes in your area of interest where you can volunteer to gain valuable experience and make connections.
5. Search and apply for internships: Actively look for internships in your desired career field by browsing job boards or company websites and apply to those that match your qualifications and interests.
6. Reflect on your passion and interests: Take time to analyze your passions, strengths, and personal values to better understand the type of career that will fulfill and motivate you.
7. Set career goals: Outline specific, measurable, and realistic short- and long-term goals for your career path, and use these objectives to guide your actions and decisions moving forward.
Rafeh recommends the following next steps:
Hi Rafeh, This is good advice but it doesn't necessarily answer the question. Could you please respond with steps on what options this student can explore after college?
Gurpreet Lally, Admin