GUEST COLUMN: The Many Raods to Success

At our last year at Penn, us seniors can look forward to the following things: going to Senior Screamers, drinking without fake IDs, spring break, graduation, and true independence -- not that pseudo "at college" independence. But at the same time, there are things that might not be too enjoyable. For instance, I've seen my older, now-graduated friends go through this before: spending infinite hours at CPPS trying to find decent jobs in a shrinking pool of available ones; interviewing for prospective jobs; being rejected; or if accepted, working 70-plus hours a week paying off loans and bills, and having more responsibility than they could ever imagine. Suddenly I don't feel that same mad rush to get out of here anymore. What lies ahead for us is exciting, and at times rather overwhelming. For the first time for many of us, we will really be on our own, without Mommy or Daddy's support. But we can handle it -- we are Penn students ready for the world. But there have been times where I've thought about how nice it would be to extend this security and dependence for a while longer. I came up with three possible plans which I have presented to my parents: 1) I could prolong my years of academia (and thus delay my entry into the real world) by going to graduate school. My parents and I actually like this idea except for one drawback: money. I would need to work for several years in order to pay for it. SO that's on hold for now. 2) I could go on the seven year program. This would mean that I can spread my remaining nine credits over the next four years and perhaps even add a third major. This was greeted by a few chuckles and a distinct "No!" 3) There is always the "mooch off of your parents" plan (not exactly presented to them in those words). Here I would live at home for as long as I want. This suggestion was first met by sudden hysterical, almost maniacal laughter and then an even more emphatic "You must be outta your mind!" type of reply. So much for those ideas. I guess I'm pretty much on my own after next year. I actually have to take that next step into the realities of adulthood, but do I know exactly what I am going to do? I'm sure this is a question that still is in the minds of many seniors. I have to admire people who come into college knowing precisely what they want to do. One of my former roommates, for example, is premed. That's it. No fuss, no hassle, just premed. She's already preparing herself for another four years of hard labor. I, on the other hand, am faced at the moment with the difficult choice of vocations. There are loads and loads of possible occupations out there, some paying more than others. So, why is it so hard for me to decide? As a kid, it was so easy. Doctor, nurse, astronaut, lawyer, stockbroker; anything -- there was no consideration of time, amount of schooling, or money. You could be anything you wanted; gender, race or socioeconomic status didn't matter. But then again, at the age of five I wanted to be a horse. Yes, an Arabian horse, and a white one at that. It was so simple. Nobody really questioned my decision then, and I was very happy with my career choice. I was set to be the best horse I possibly could, practicing my gallop so I could run fast, win races and acquire that pretty blanket of roses. Until my dreams were abruptly destroyed by an older cousin. She told me that a horse is an animal, and it was impossible for people to be animals. Of course, I now realize it was a silly and impossible goal to wish for, but at the time I was crushed (perhaps my indecision today stems from this, but that's something I'll only discuss with my therapist). If only we could go back to those times. It's this indecision that has my parents especially worried. All of their friends and relatives' children went into college on a preprofessional track: doctors, lawyers, businessmen, etc. I entered Penn as a premed as a way to basically please my parents, but halfway through chemistry and physics, I decided that medicine was just not for me. Instead, I decided to major in communications and psychology. This caused panic in my family, as they do not understand the use of a liberal arts degree. After several generations of doctors, engineers and businessmen in my family, they cannot comprehend being anything but doctors, engineers and businessmen. So when I told my parents that I was considering being a psychologist, (not a psychiatrist, that would require a M.D.) they started to worry a little. When I told them that I was considering becoming a movie producer, they started worrying a lot. I jokingly told them my plans of being an actor, and all hell broke loose. But when I ultimately get down to it, the final decision has to be mine. SO after all this contemplation, have I decided what to do after graduation? No, but I have all this year to decide.