ALEX LOPEZ

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Are you a fresh graduate without work experience?

If you are, then Welcome to Adulthood! a boring, endless, fun, terrifying, challenging but worthwhile phase in life. As a fresh graduate, consider yourself a clean slate. You ask yourself, "How do I even begin? Where do I start?" I am pretty sure that these are the horrors of your life at the moment, and the thoughts that you frequently ponder :

Career Opportunities

Choosing the right career that suits your interests, skills and capabilities is not an easy task. For me, it is not simply a task but a journey. Fear will always be present. You will eventually face a tough situation where your single decision can change everything. During this time, you will be doubting your skills. You will start to contemplate life and ask yourself if this is the right thing to do or if you are just being reckless. My only advice, when you are in the same predicament as I once was, is to remember these words from Paulo Coelho. "One day or day one, you decide."

Nerve-wracking Job Interviews

Nervous because it's your first time? The key is to be prepared. That's what I think (because that's basically what our professors told us.) The reality is you would do a lot of job interviews. You would require a lot of clothes for that, too. You would also be a morning person. I mean, you have to. And you have to overcome them all. You made it through college. You got this. Whatever criticism you receive, do not be intimidated by other people's opinion. Be confident and believe in yourself.

Acquaintances

Having been exposed to the corporate world at least once will already give you an idea what to expect. You will meet different types of people and you will have to learn how to deal with them. In my experience, I always search for the reliable, optimistic and approachable type of people in the office first. The ones I know I can get along with even outside work. My ideal supervisor is an efficient and effective leader who can motivate me in coming to work. He is considerate and hardworking. He listens to his employees and respects difference in opinion or values. I have met people from work who became friends. I have also met people who owed something from me, and then disappeared like strangers they once were. These experiences are just few of the good and bad things that you might also experience.

Bills and Responsibilities

As a fresh graduate, you will start at the bottom. As early as now you need to know how to budget. My only advice, Income - Savings = Expenses. Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving. You would not want to be a spender, especially if you are expected to help at the household. It is a necessity for you to learn how to manage your income. I am not saying that you cannot treat yourself to good stuff using your hard-earned money. Because you can, and you deserve it. Reward yourself once in a while. All that I am pointing out is to always be mindful of your priorities. You need to learn how to say no to temptations and how to control yourself from buying unnecessary things. Spending unwisely becomes a habit and it will be hard to change in the future. You wouldn't want to be empty-handed when worst comes to worst.

Life Plan

From time to time you will contemplate life. You will ask yourself, "What am I doing with my life? Are the choices I made the right ones? Is this really for me?" Guess what, we never really know the right answers to our questions. Life will just keep on giving us an unexpected turn. Everything that happens to us does not always go according to plans. Nevertheless, where we are right now teaches us valuable lessons. If you are unhappy then your situation teaches you what you do not want to be. Forgive yourself for thinking that you are not where you wanted to be because you are not good enough. Learn from your experience and use those lessons to achieve your next goal.
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The choices we make define how we live. Choices like being confident with your body and eating whatever you want vs. being ashamed of your appearance and losing esteem. The choice to move on and start anew vs. the choice to cling to the past and regret. Having to choose between living a luxurious life today or saving for financial security tomorrow. The brave decision to wake up and come to work vs. the decision to leave and pursue the career you have always dreamed of. I believe that whatever we make of these choices bring us where we are right now and it will lead us to where we are supposed to be.

You may think that we are lost now, and you need to take a stop. You can do that. You can take a stop in order for you to breathe and figure out the things you need to figure out. But do not let yourself be stuck for so long because time never stops for you. Believe that eventually everything will be okay and you will find your way. Remember, each of us are living in our own time. Do not compare your progress with other people. Some will be successful before you do. Some will attain their goals before you do. But that does not mean that it will not happen to you. Because you will get there in your own time. We will all get there.

My first week of school was fun. I met my friends again. The professors are cool. We are back to learn and strive more. It's all rainbow and lilies, until I get home to realize a fact. It's the last year. My last year as a student. I am a college senior now. It's scary and challenging. I am both thrilled and terrified. It is the moment in life when I start thinking about my next step. Where am I heading?

To be honest, I never imagined that I would be where I am right now. When I was 5, I pictured my life a little different. My first dream was to become a teacher. I had fun learning at such a young age. I am curious about all things. I had many ideas that I wanted to share with the world. That's why I thought teaching was the best fit for me. When I was 11, I wanted to become a writer. I fell in love with writing, and at that point, I decided that no matter where life takes me, I'm going to keep writing and inspiring other people through my message. When I was 15 and faced with a big decision to enter college, I thought I could be a good architect. I wanted to learn architecture, but still, I had doubts.

And then life happened. Up to this point, I, still, am not sure how I have gotten to International Studies. I didn't like history in high school because we only memorized stuff that were written in the textbook. The lessons were interesting, but the approach was quite difficult. I thought learning foreign languages is cool, but it's not really necessary in life. I thought studying law and international relations was boring, and too much for a lazy kid like me. I and International Studies is like oil and water, we don't mix well, we can't come together.

I have never been so wrong in my life. Little by little, my course intrigued my inner self and my real interests. It showed me my strengths and the things that I am actually good at, that I wasn't aware before. Thanks to my professors and block mates, they made me realize the fun of learning International Studies. I can see things that are confusing before become clear now. Taking this course is part of God's plan for me. Meeting all those people is a part of it, too. I will forever be grateful.

How did I come to the realization that it's all part of a big plan? I don't know. Maybe because it's better than thinking that it's a mistake. I mean, haven't we all come to the point where we think about all the decisions that we've made? Are our choices right? And then we overthink things and it start stressing us. Questions keep coming. It's an endless mind battle with yourself. "What if I don't figure my life out? What if this is all that I am and all that I can become? What if 5 or 10 years from now I am still unsure of my direction in life?" No one knows the answers, and that's what scare us most. We are all making a big decision that's going to decide the rest of our lives.

Ask yourself this, "Why am I getting scared if the future is not even here yet?" You cannot take all huge steps at once. You can only take small steps, one at a time. But with will, determination and courage, those footsteps that you have taken will get you where you are headed. It might get sturdy and long, to the point of giving up, but if you keep walking ahead, eventually you will see the end of the road. The road that you have set for yourself. Taking the small step now is a good start, and that is enough.

My favorite quote in If I Stay that applies to my life

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ALEX LOPEZ

Are you a fresh graduate without work experience?

Career Opportunities

Nerve-wracking Job Interviews

Acquaintances

Bills and Responsibilities

Life Plan

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