I graduated. Now what?
Perhaps one of the greatest milestones a Filipino family could dream of is to witness a family member graduating. In our university, parents join the students in tears as the latter shift their sablay—our graduation regalia—from the right shoulder to the left. It was indeed a tearjerker moment, especially when the family gave it their all for this monumental occasion to happen.
But once the graduation euphoria has subsided, what comes after?
For most of my batchmates, it would be preparing for the licensure exams. Our graduation and the licensure exam for our degree program are only three months apart, which I honestly believe is too close for comfort, but I cannot afford to wait until next year as I fear that my knowledge of chemistry will slowly evaporate. So, for most of us, we didn’t have much of a choice but to study for a month or so before graduation.
Fast forward three months later and I finally passed the licensure exams. What comes next?
I spent so much time and willpower making sure I graduated on time and passed my licensure exam that I didn’t think about what I had to do after. During the past few weeks, my friend group discussed post-board exam life in passing. It was always a difficult conversation for me.
The easiest answer would be to find a job. We have heard of job opportunities for licensed chemists even before the licensure exams were held. I remember being invited by former professors and alumni friends to apply for an instructor position and teach while reviewing. It is a profession that I could see myself doing. However, I believe that the timing wasn’t right for me as I was too terrified that I wouldn’t have enough time to study for the licensure exams because of the teaching units and eventually lose the job if I failed. That would have been a nightmare.
I also envisioned myself working in the food or pharmaceutical industry, even though a lot of people have been discouraging us by saying that the entry-level salary is too low to be livable. One time someone told us, “Ang hirap hirap pumasa sa board exam, tapos ang sahod niyo P15,000.”
Some of my well-off friends took some time off before job-hunting. I don’t blame them. I’m starting to think that it should be a requirement for every fresh graduate to have at least two months of me-time or vacation to reflect and recuperate from years of caffeinated all-nighters and piles of deadlines. It’s easier to schedule vacations now that we have no classes anymore because once we’re employed, we will be stuck with eight-to-five shifts again.
The only thing I have against pursuing this plan is my need to earn money. I am middle class. Where your studies end, so does your weekly allowance. It’s hard to be a young adult with no money. While my parents told me that they’re still willing to cover my expenses, earning my own money is a different thing. What good are vacation plans if I don’t have the means to book one? Aside from that, I also have an irrational fear of missing out on a very good job opportunity because I decided to rest. The “que sera, sera” quote don’t work anymore.
The third option—pursuing further studies abroad—is still a dream for me. I’m pretty sure that every student with enough resources and opportunities will not turn down an opportunity to expand their knowledge. I am one of those students. A friend said this is cortisol withdrawal working its wonders, but I certainly feel like knowing more about chemistry is an amazing feat to pursue. Some of my batchmates opted not to take the board exams since they’re already pursuing further studies abroad, and I salute them. Traditional Filipino families treat passing a board exam as an additional badge of honor or merit. To not have one is simply opening a door for subtle whispers during family reunions.
Even with all these thoughts in mind, to this date, I still do not have a decision on what I want—or need—to do. Make no mistake: I will always be grateful to even have the choice of what to do after graduation, but having no concrete sense of direction is probably just as bad as chasing goals one after the other.
Maybe the nation’s girl group BINI was partly right when they sang, “‘Wag mag-alala, buhay ay ‘di karera.” For some, life is not a race, as their disposition will always give them the upper hand or a head start in every opportunity or decision they make, while for others, life is indefensibly a race, with the monthly bills or matriculation fees of younger siblings.
I hate being stuck in the middle.
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Joshua S. Geraldino, 22, is a recent chemistry graduate from the University of the Philippines Diliman. He lives in Laguna.
