Students walking and standing in-front of Cordiner Hall during a Whitties Helping Whitties student-alumni networking event with more students and alumni in the background, Sept 2023.
With winter break just around the corner, perhaps you’ve begun to brace yourself for the inevitable barrage of questions: “What are your plans for the summer?”, “What will you do after graduation?”, “How will you get a job with that major?”.
Whatever circumstances you find yourself in, contemplating possible answers to these questions ahead of time can ease stress and help you feel better prepared to discuss them with curious family and friends. The CCEC team has put together our best advice for navigating these challenging questions.
First, a reminder that it is okay—helpful, even!—to field these questions by steering the conversation in a direction that serves your needs. To this end, take a few minutes to consider what you want to talk about. Are there insights you could gather over the holidays that might help with a future step like declaring a major, searching for a summer internship, or planning a fellowship project? Did you learn something during the semester that you’d like to explore further via community engagement or collaborative research? If you spend a few minutes pondering how winter-break conversations can help you refine and advance your plans, then you’ll be better prepared to direct conversations where you’d like them to go.
Then, think about how you might respond in ways that will actually elicit helpful information from the people asking questions. If a family member asks what you plan to do after graduation, ask what led them to their current role or organization. If a neighbor asks about your summer plans, ask them what experience is useful or even necessary in their field of work. You can extend your conversations beyond family and friends by initiating new relationships with Whitman alumni through the Whitman Connect platform. On Whitman Connect, you can begin communicating with Whitties who have volunteered and are excited to share insight, advice and encouragement with current students. Once you’ve activated your profile, search specifically for people working in the fields you’re curious about, as well as those with academic backgrounds you find interesting. Note: you can schedule an appointment with a CCEC staff member on the Handshake platform to learn more about alumni networking!
Finally, remember that you don’t owe anyone an answer. If it is difficult or you don’t care to discuss your plans, consider diverting the conversation. Remember, many of the people asking questions are simply trying to make conversation; it doesn’t have to be a conversation about your future. So when Great Aunt Imelda asks about job prospects, consider responding with something like, “I’m still weighing my options, but I’m really excited about the pottery class I got into for next semester.”
While it’s easy to feel weighed down by the expectations others may place on you, remember that you are creating your life, and you decide what shape it will take. As such, you might take advantage of the opportunity to glean insight from those around you who care enough to ask about your plans. By engaging them in discussion, you may learn something or generate new ideas. Or turn conversation toward the exceptional eggnog. Your call.
To explore any of these topics in more detail, feel free to schedule a “check-in” appointment with your CCEC coach – we’ll be around the week after Finals and the week before Spring Semester starts. Don’t know who your coach is? Check myWhitman, your coach’s name and contact info will be listed right under your academic advisor’s name. You can schedule an appointment any time using Handshake appointments.
And if you’re eager to start meeting Whitman alumni on Whitman Connect, you’ll find really helpful information to get ready by logging into Handshake, then use the following link to access CCEC Networking Tips and Tricks.
https://whitman.joinhandshake.com/stu/schools/292/articles?category=268
Have a restful and restorative break and we’ll look forward to seeing you in January!