I’m starting my senior year of college. Scary right? I can’t believe it either. I’m starting to hear the same questions about after graduation over and over. While I’m certainly not ready to leave my school and all of my friends, these questions get my mind thinking about graduation day sooner than I should be. After all, I still have a full school year ahead of me – I want to concentrate on the time and experiences I still have.

I also want to be clear that the depth of which I answer these questions depends on who is asking and how much time I have before my next responsibility. While I enjoy sharing my hopes and dreams with people, I know that if an acquaintance is asking one of these questions they probably don’t care as much about the details as one of my family members or a friend or a professor.

1. What do you want to do after this year?
2. What is your dream job?
3. What would you do if you didn’t get a job you like? You know you’ll probably have to work your way up the ladder.
4. How much do you want to make at your first job?
5. Where do you want to live?
6. Would you ever consider moving back in with your parents?
7. Are you going to graduate school? For what or why not?
8. Are you looking to stay near campus?
9. Have you thought about traveling or working abroad?
10. Are you ready to graduate?
11. How did four years go by so quickly?
12. When are you going to come back to campus and visit?
13. How’s it going to feel starting over again?
14. Do you have a bucket list for this year?
15. When are you going to start looking for jobs?
16. How are you going to look for jobs?
17. How are you going to pay off your student loans?
18. When are you going to settle down?
19. Are you planning on getting married and starting a family soon?
20. If you have a significant other: what do you two plan to do after you graduate?

It’s not that I’m dreading the future; I’m actually really excited about it! I’m in a great place emotionally and have close relationships with friends and family. I think it’s exactly that. I’m in such a happy place personally that I don’t want to miss out on enjoying the present by thinking too much about the future.