By the time you're reading this, you've either graduated or are about to graduate from college. You're closing the door on one chapter in your life, and you're opening another chapter as we speak. You've grown up and learned lessons all along the way. You're flying the coop, and you should be proud.

But, what happens now?

It's not always easy to have the next steps of your life already figured out. You (or most of you, anyway) have been in academia for more than 20 years. It's pretty much all you have known to this point, and now you're being pushed into the 'real' world to be a productive member of society. I understand how daunting it can feel to stepping into the unknown, but you can't be afraid of the future.

Your future is bright; that alone is reason to be hopeful. You may or may not have a job lined up and awaiting you in the coming days. You may or may not be continuing the pursuit of higher learning in the form of a master's degree or doctorate. You may be taking your last 'break' before continuing on to the next stage of your life. Ultimately, it does not matter what you have or haven't decided about what you will and won't be doing at this point.

The point is to face the future with high expectations and low levels of hopelessness. You've accomplished so much to this point of your life, and there is no reason you should lower your expectations for what you can accomplish in the future. You have reached for the stars, and now it is your time to reach past the stars. Go forth and do what you have learned to do.