Journal Of A College Graduate, One Month Out | The Odyssey Online
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Graduate's Log, Month 1

May - June 2018

47
Graduate's Log, Month 1
Chris Garino

I am a college graduate. Those five words have gone through my brain every morning as I stare out my window "BoJack Horseman" style. The more time passes the stranger those words become. As great as college was I find myself unsure of what to do next. I have a wealth of knowledge and a handy set of skills but, much like a hammer left in a shed, I can't help but feel aimless. Well, hammers don't have emotions but I think you guys can excuse the metaphor.

Lately, I feel like I've been writing about film and media almost exclusively and while I love both I think this page could do with a little diversity. Writing about myself, especially given that I don't have much else to do at the moment, seemed to be the best way to go. I keep my writing skills polished and refined and you fine folks at home get a sneak peek into the existential despair that it post-graduate unemployment. I kid. It's really great to have the whole world at your feet, nothing but opportunity and hope to look out to over the horizon. Even though I'm a month in and I'm yet to hear from any prospective employer I can't help but feel confident about a successful career in any industry I'm looking to get into.

In case you don't know me I'm a very ambitious person. At the same time though my ambition clashes with my indecisive nature. Take my time with Odyssey as an example. My lovely girlfriend and better half asks me week after week why I rarely ever submit my articles on time. "Well honey," I tell her, "I just can't write something if I can't put myself into it." Sure, I'd love to write a full analysis of a given movie I'd watched or game I'd played leading up to my weekly deadline. I'll usually map out my main points and wrap them all up in a little bow complete with sarcasm and witty anecdotes. At the end of the day, try as I might, I can't get it off the ground because I can't settle on the style.

Let's take this back to careers. Originally, I'd entered college with the intent of working in journalism then web design then public relations then filmmaking then television production and then, somehow, I decided to pursue a career in entertainment law. How I jumped from journalist to lawyer is something top scientists at SpaceX are still trying to decipher but I can tell you it's been a strange experience. As I stand now I've taken the LSAT and have tons of prior experience in television production, radio production, web design, and public relations. So right now it's either law school or comm work. The decision weighs on my mind daily and at this point it's first-come-first-serve. If the world of law decides to gobble me up I'll gladly take the trip; ditto for the work of TV or radio.

People often tell me to think about my dream job and then things will sort themselves out but the truth is I'm still figuring out what that is. Honestly, I look around and I see a world full of people who are still trying to figure out their dreams. What they want, who they want to be with, how they want to live their lives. If someone at 50 can't even fully figure out what they want then there's no way I'll ever know for sure. That's okay, though. Because there are things I want to do even if they aren't exactly a part of the grand dream I want my life to be. Dreams aren't real so if you waste your life striving towards some grand dream aren't you just sleepwalking?

I've applied to so many jobs since graduation I've honestly lost count. I know what the positions are and where they are, obviously, but it doesn't make them any easier to count. Hopefully, I'll hear back soon and who knows? The next time you hear from me I'll be a happily employed aimless college graduate.

Until next time...

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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