Oh annoying post graduation questions

So, my baby brother whom is not so much a baby anymore, is graduating from college in less than a month. I am oh so proud of him for all of his hard work and determination. I cannot wait to see him walk across that stage just as I did, as Matt did and as our father did. His graduation makes me think about my own.

With the happy times of graduation floating in the air, there are also those pesky annoying questions that EVERYONE and their moms must ask you ten thousand times. I mean, I understand that people want to know what your plans are after graduating, but it becomes a little redundant over time. It has become a huge annoyance for me! I have always wanted to write a post like this because I know I am not the only one going through it.

I graduated almost three years ago and people still bug me with all these questions. I always feel like I have to explain my life to everyone and I want to stop feeling like I just have to. Your life is your life and you shouldn't feel like you have to justify it every day! I warned Chris to be prepared for these questions because if you don't get some huge amazing job right away, people will be bugging the crap out of you just like they did me. Well, here are five common questions and here are my answers and thoughts on those questions:

1. What was your degree in?
-I have my Associates degree in Business and my Bachelors degree in English Literature. End of story.
-When someone tells you their degree, tell them how awesome that is and leave it at that. Don't keep pestering them to tell you more, especially if you don't know them that well.

2. Oh, what can you do with that degree?
-Ummm, I can do a lot of things with a Business and English degree. Why yes, I am still working on obtaining a full time job and career. I am an Air Force wife and have been focusing on my role as such while putting my career on the back burner. So what?
-Okay! This question needs to disappear into the great unknown. Some degrees you can only do one thing. Many other degrees allow you to take many different paths. Hence why I chose my degrees because I knew I could take different career paths.

3. English degree huh? Do you want to be an English teacher then?
-NO! Yes, I've considered going for my Masters in education to teach English, but I don't think that that is what I want to do. I enjoy the aspect of a business type career and an English type of career. Like I stated in a previous post, I want to have more than one career while incorporating both of my degrees.
-Stop assuming that someone with an English degree wants to be an English teacher. You can do SO much with an English degree so I've stated several hundred times before!

4. What are your plans after graduation?
-My plans were always to move to Virginia to be with Jarrett and I did just that. I also dreamed of nailing an amazing job and career here, but that did not happen. Even though it did not happen, a lot of other amazing things did happen in its place. I am very blessed!
-Here's a fun fact: Not everyone knows what they want to do after graduation and that is PERFECTLY okay! This is 2013 and there are so many different options and circumstances that graduates go through! Some contemplate moving out of their small towns, some actually land a huge job in their home town and settle down, some get a retail job or keep the one they have until the right job comes along(no matter how long it takes), some decide to join the military, some become military spouses and their life changes majorly and many take a lot of time off to travel the world! No matter what you decide to do, do it for you and no one else!

5. Since you are an Air Force wife, isn't it going to be hard for you to have a career?
-NO IT IS NOT! The reason why I do not have my career yet is not because I am a military wife. Most of the employers that I have interviewed with did not care at all. The crappy economy is the reason behind my job troubles. I have been offered jobs, but they have not been the right ones. Regardless of my status, I keep pushing toward a future career for myself besides my husband's career. I even want to pursue my Masters degree at some point. Boom!
-Why do people assume military wives can't have careers? What, are we supposed to sit at home twiddling our thumbs and popping out babies left and right? Although there are a lot of house wives and stay at home mom military wives that are absolutely amazing a what they do, there are also wives that want to continue their education and have a career regardless of being in the military. All we want is to be treated just like everyone else out there! We can do anything that normal wives can do! We are no different!

Okay end rant for the evening! I didn't mean to do all this venting. Oh wait, yes I did! I wanted to get this off my chest while giving future graduates some advice on the life that lies ahead. I just want all you graduates to know that no matter what you go through after graduation or how many people ask you these annoying questions, everything will work out for the best! Don't let anyone put you down for the major that you chose or the path that you dared to take. You can do anything! So go out there into this big bad world and be the person that God intended you to be!