Allison Osei-Okrah
Contributing Writer
If you are a college senior, chances are you have heard this question at least a dozen times in the past few months: “So, what are you doing after graduation?”
It is usually an innocent question. Sometimes it comes from professors, family members, friends or even strangers making conversation. And while I understand the curiosity, I think I speak for quite a few seniors when I say: I am tired of answering it.Not because I have absolutely no plans, but because I am not entirely sure what the future looks like. And honestly, how many of us are?
We have spent years being told that going to college, getting good grades, choosing a major and building a resume would eventually lead us somewhere. We followed the instructions, checked the boxes, completed the internships, joined the organizations and gained the experience. Yet, as graduation approaches, many of us are discovering that having a degree and being prepared for the job market are two very different things.
Some of us have found ourselves pursuing majors and career paths not necessarily because they are our greatest passions, but because they offer a reasonable chance of keeping the lights on and the bills paid. Passion is wonderful, but so is financial security. It is difficult to romanticize following your dreams when rent is due, groceries are expensive and student loans are waiting.
And then there is the job market. Somewhere along the way, it has started to feel like a master’s degree has become the new bachelor’s degree. Entry-level positions increasingly seem to require experience that an entry-level applicant has not had the opportunity to gain. Graduate schools, meanwhile, often expect applicants to have professional experience before admission. So, if I need a master’s degree to get a job, and I need a job to qualify for a master’s degree, what exactly am I supposed to do?
The uncertainty does not exist in a vacuum. We are graduating into a world shaped by rising living costs, global conflicts, economic uncertainty and political decisions with consequences for our future. While we are busy figuring out our next steps, decisions are being made on issues like taxation, public spending, education funding, infrastructure and national debt. These might sound like distant policy debates, but they are influencing the economy we are about to enter and the opportunities available to us.
These decisions are what make fiscal policy so important to our generation. Fiscal policy may sound like something best left to politicians and economists, but it affects all of us. It influences the opportunities available to us, the investments made in our communities and the financial responsibilities we will inherit. We should care about how these decisions are made, and we deserve a say in them. After all, the choices being made today will shape the economic future we inherit and the environment in which we work, earn, save, raise families and, hopefully, build wealth.
I do not think any graduating senior expects the government to hand them a job or guarantee them an easy life. We understand that uncertainty is part of adulthood. But there is a difference between being uncertain about what you want to do and being uncertain about what you CAN realistically afford to do.
Perhaps that is what makes the question so difficult. It is not always about a lack of ambition, preparation or direction. Sometimes, it is about recognizing that the opportunities available to us will influence the choices we get to make. The question is not always, “What do I want to do after graduation?” Sometimes, it is, “Can I afford to do it? Where can I find an opportunity? Will it pay enough to live independently? Can I afford to pursue another degree?”
So, to everyone asking the graduating class of 2027 what comes next, perhaps ask us something else. Ask us what kind of future we want. Ask us what opportunities we think our generation needs. Ask us whether we feel prepared for the economy we are entering.
And maybe, just maybe, listen to the answers.
Because, on behalf of every senior still refreshing job listings, reconsidering graduate school applications, calculating living expenses and trying to make sense of an uncertain future: Do not ask me what I am doing after graduation.
