“You are on your own now.” These words really stir up the excitement in you. After all these years of education, you are finally stepping out into the HUGE world out there! All too soon, the discomfort sets in. Like a movie, memories of all the times you spent with your friends in school start playing in your head. The emotions well up. Your heart feels a stinging pain. You are leaving this phase of your life. The sense of loss comes from the fact that this is a turning point of your life. And there’s no turning back.
By the time you really stepped out, you start to get nervous. No one’s there to take you by your hand. You are really on your own now.
“As We Go On We Remember, All The Times We Had Together…”
Sounds familiar? This is the Graduation Song by Vitamin C. Read into the lyrics, and if you are the sentimental kind, I bet you’ll get all emotional.
An Exciting Life Ahead?
Don’t get too comfortable. At this phase of your life, you probably have a few things to think about. Like where you should be going for your graduation trip. Just kidding. It’s beyond that. Something like…
| 1. | Your career plan If you went through the Secret Recipe for the Lost and Adam Khoo’s book, “Master Your Mind, Design Your Destiny”, you should be in a pretty good position to make your career plans. Don’t be afraid to be different. Nobody ever said you must start off as an employee. You can be an entrepreneur if that’s what you want! Don’t be afraid to go into another field either. I have many engineering schoolmates who went on to become financial analysts, bankers etc. My point is – remove your limiting beliefs and follow your heart. |
| 2. | Your financial plan A financial plan usually covers three basic aspects – savings, insurance and investments. And don’t forget about your existing debts! If you got yourself a bank loan to pay for your university course fees, graduation is payback time. Literally. My point here is – craft a sound financial plan and get your ass covered. |
| 3. | Further education Interested in getting a Master’s degree or a PhD? Fits the bill for some. Not a must for everyone though. |
| 4. | Your housing plan With Singapore’s high population density and land scarcity, planning for our future home becomes highly important. I’m not sure about other countries though. |
I’m not suggesting that you should turn into a worry freak. With proper planning, it’ll save you from all the unnecessary woes you may have in the future.
Let me leave you with an excerpt of a commencement address delivered by Steve Jobs at Stanford University, June 12, 2005:
“Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”
– Steve Jobs
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