Graduation season is right around the corner, and I\u2019m willing to bet more than a few graduates out there have been putting off the \u201cwhat now?\u201d conversation until the very last minute.<\/p>\n
One day you\u2019ve got bells ringing, teachers talking, friends everywhere, and a schedule that\u2019s basically controlled your whole life. Then Memorial Day weekend rolls around and suddenly you wake up with nowhere to be and nothing you have to do. At least that\u2019s how it felt for me.<\/p>\n
With the job market being what it is\u2014and with some parents probably needing help themselves\u2014it\u2019s easy to jump straight into whatever job is available just to get a paycheck rolling in. There\u2019s absolutely nothing wrong with working hard. In fact, I still believe a steady work history is one of the best things you can build for your future. Showing up every day and proving you\u2019re dependable still matters.<\/p>\n
The Best Thing You Might Do Is Leave Town<\/p>\n
But honestly? That\u2019s not really the advice I\u2019d give a fresh graduate.<\/p>\n
My advice is simple, and maybe a little controversial: get out of town for a while.<\/p>\n
I know a lot of people joke that Lubbock \u201cisn\u2019t all that.\u201d Well, maybe it is for you. Maybe it\u2019s exactly where you belong. But you\u2019re never really going to know that unless you experience a few other places first.<\/p>\n
I personally had to leave Lubbock before I truly appreciated it. I\u2019m grateful for the experiences I had somewhere else, and I\u2019m equally grateful I got the chance to come back.<\/p>\n
\u2708\ufe0f Go Experience Something<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve got a couch to crash on in another city while you hunt for work, do it.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve got a cousin willing to hire you for the summer somewhere else, do it.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve got a chance to spend even a few months seeing how other people live, work, and think\u2014take it.<\/p>\n
You don\u2019t have to move forever. You don\u2019t have to \u201cfind yourself.\u201d Just go experience a little bit of the world before you settle into one place permanently.<\/p>\n