The past four years have been a blast, right? You’ve met all kinds of people, learned, but maybe forgot, some stuff, and definitely experienced things you probably won’t ever forget. But as time winds down and stepping back into the “real-world” becomes more inevitable, you realize that having a plan for after graduation is more important than any outfit you’ve ever had to put together, or party you’ve ever contemplated attending.

Graduating senior and psychology major Erika Diaz sees post-grad life as a period of accomplishment and is taking her time to find what’s right for her. “I’m excited to experience what’s out there,” she said. But while some students find this time to be most exciting, others see it as the perfect opportunity to bury themselves in a hole.

Shannon Morrow, a graduating senior and accounting major, said choosing the right job seems to be the most stressful task. “You spend so much time in school taking classes and trying to do well,” she said. “In the end you worry if those classes will even meet the needs of employers.”

Because there is so much pressure on college seniors to “pick the right path,” students sometimes blindly make their decisions.

In an attempt to alleviate the anxieties keeping you from enjoying the last of those State Street parties, Release brings to you the experience and advice of two Binghamton University alumni who stood facing the same “fork-in-the-road.”

Path 1: The Graduate Student

Miguelina Rodriguez, 24, and a doctoral student at Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, graduated from Binghamton University in 2003 with a B.A. in economics.

Realizing that she wasn’t certain about what road to take, she decided to work on her masters in public administration. She said that it’s important for students to understand the prospective futures of their fields of study. Depending on your field, graduate school may not be necessary.

She said it’s best that students do enough research when deciding on a graduate school program, and shouldn’t get discouraged if they are not accepted into programs.

“You must be compatible with the faculty at the program of your choice [because] that is the only way you are going to succeed,” Rodriguez said. Being rejected from a program doesn’t mean you weren’t smart or good enough. It just means that that program wasn’t the best fit for you, Rodriguez said.

While she doesn’t suggest being unprepared for graduation, she does think it’s important for students to avoid getting caught up in what she calls a graduation “blueprint.”

“On average, most undergraduate students are 21 to 22 years old, still fairly young, [so] it is OK if you do not have your whole life planned out by the time you graduate,” she said. But if you have decided that going straight into a graduate program is best, Rodriguez warns students to be prepared to see the difference.

Graduate school should not be looked at as some pride badge you can wear that says, “Yes, I am a graduate school candidate.”

The schedule of classes is not as demanding as undergrad, but with the amount of work you’re given, Rodriguez said it’s enough to keep you busy for the rest of the week. “[It’s] much more focused than that in undergrad and much more is required from your part,” she said.

Although making adjustments can be daunting, Rodriguez believes anyone can get through it if they stay motivated. “You must be proactive in your approach,” she said. “You have to do things that will help you narrow your focus [and] steer you in the direction that will make you happy.”

Path 2: Work Experience First

Melvilin Rodriguez, 24, graduated from BU in 2004 with a B.A. in English with a concentration in rhetoric. Going right into the workforce wasn’t something Rodriguez decided on without much contemplation. What she did know for certain was that she wasn’t prepared to jump right into graduate school.

She advises that seniors research their options when it comes to job opportunities before jumping right into graduate school, especially if they’re not certain about what they want to do. Don’t limit your choices when things don’t go exactly as planned.

“I had planned to go straight into grad school, but because I chose a broad degree, I didn’t realize the many directions I could go in,” Rodriguez said. Going into the workforce was her way of gaining experience in a field she had no prior experience or knowledge in.

But she does caution seniors, saying that academia and the workforce are worlds apart. “For one, you have no free time [because] you fall into a routine that consists of getting up in the morning, getting dressed, going to work and going back home,” she said.

The extensive social life most college seniors are used to takes a backseat pretty quickly, Rodriguez said. Getting rest for a full day of work becomes the priority. She said to expect things to be due in a more timely fashion than in a school environment. “In undergrad [you’ll] get an assignment today that won’t be due ’til two weeks later,” she said. “At work you get an assignment that usually is needed by the end of the day.”

But despite the drastic changes, Rodiguez explains that students should take things step by step, using the experience to help decide if obtaining a higher degree is necessary.

Rodriguez said seniors should take a deep breath and realize that “life is not over, but only beginning.” There are plenty of options, but you just have to know where to look first. “Believe me,” she said, “whatever you are feeling, someone else has [already] gone through [it].”