Dạo gần đây cứ mỗi lần chúng tôi ngồi xuống bàn sự đời với nhau thì chủ đề Sau này ra trường làm gì? lại được đem ra, dù cuộc đàm đạo đó có bắt đầu từ đâu.

Từ trước tới nay, câu chuyện về sự nghiệp, tương lai không phải là chưa bao giờ được nhắc đến. Chỉ là đến thời điểm này, tần suất xuất hiện của nó trong các cuộc hội thoại tăng lên đáng kể, và cách nó được nhắc đến, hay bàn luận cũng thay đổi.

“Lo quá! Đến bây giờ vẫn chưa biết sau này làm gì?!?”

Vẫn là những câu ca thán về sự không chắc chắn. Cũng dễ hiểu. Đã bao giờ có ai chắc chắn 100% về mình ở thì tương lai?

Nhưng cái khác ở đây là chúng tôi xoáy sâu hơn vào sự mơ hồ ấy. Chúng tôi nhìn vào thực tế, vào những thứ mình đang có và tự hỏi: với những thứ này trong tay, rồi mình sẽ đi về đâu?

Ngày trước, những lời nói về tương lai ấy có vẻ được buông ra 1 cách dễ dàng hơn, có gì đó hơi vô nghĩ 1 tí, nhất là lúc năm nhất, khi chúng tôi còn chưa chắc chắn về hiện tại, hay về chính bản thân mình để có thể đưa ra bất cứ dự đoán gì về số phận. Khi ấy, than thở vậy thôi nhưng thật ra cũng không chắc là mình có cần lo lắng cho tương lai không. Hầu hết, chúng tôi dành thời gian để tự nghi vấn bản thân, tự hỏi liệu mình có những khả năng gì, và mình thực sự muốn làm gì.

Bây giờ, khi những câu hỏi về bản thân ấy đang bắt đầu có câu trả lời, chúng tôi có thêm dữ kiện để bắt đầu lên kế hoạch, dự đoán về tương lai. Tiếp đó là sự mâu thuẫn giữa những thứ mình muốn làm và thứ mình có thể làm.

“Tớ muốn làm công tác xã hội nhưng với bằng cử nhân tiếng Anh thì tớ chỉ có thể…”

Rồi có những người có quá nhiều lựa chọn, nhưng lại không biết mình muốn làm gì.

“Làm ở đâu cũng được nhưng tớ vẫn chưa biết mình muốn theo nghề gì?!”

Người có ít lựa chọn thấy ghen tị với người có nhiều hơn, và người có nhiều lựa chọn lại chỉ mong mình có ít đi cho dễ lựa.

Dần dần, càng gần đến ngày ra trường thì sự mơ hồ ấy nó không đơn giản là nỗi lo nữa. Nó biến thành nỗi sợ hãi. Để bây giờ, cứ mỗi lần nhắc đến chuyện gì đó ở thì tương lai:

“Sợ quá! Không biết sau này làm gì?”

The thing is: I have so many things on my mind right now and they keep interfering my studying, my pure brain which should be used for Grammar, English, Literature and whatsoever associated with studying ONLY! (Poor little brain!)

This doesn’t happen very often. In other words, it RARELY happens since I find myself a thoughtless person. I don’t think much about anything, especially life. I’m easy-going, free and I get satisfied easily.

So, this semester is something I would call “an exception”. Numerous pieces of stuff are hanging on my shoulders, but not negatively. Those are actually my plans, my concerns about the future.

Recently I have asked myself tons of questions which I can’t answer it myself. I take out the time I should be using to cram for exams, to think about it. Then I ended up asking Google (sometimes Youtube). Look how stupid I am.

The good thing is what is going on in my mind makes me feel less stressful and almost care-free about the exams. I do know that if this continues, I’ll get into trouble with my low GPA. Still, I don’t care much. What happens will happen. Therefore, I’m going to let nature take its course.

Screw all the exams, screw my GPA, I have other fascinating things to think about.

Period!

Life is definitely not easy. We cannot always have our feelings controlled all the time. By one way or another, those feelings will soon be released. However, how they should be released depends on each type.

There are positive ones, which will energize the surroundings as we spread it. They are like colorful lights that touch upon every creature and bring them the lively feel. On the other hand, there exist destructive feelings, which will be even more destructive when turning to what so-called “emotions”.

“Emotions play out in the theater of the body. Feelings play out in the theater of the mind.”

Those negative feelings can damage not only ourselves but also others who get affected. They are bad, toxic and even deadly as the meaning of the word ‘negative’ describes itself.

So, be careful when it comes to showing your feelings or letting it take over your body. You don’t know how it could stir up things around you, your own life and other beings’ lives.

Be sound, be thoughtful!

It came to me so randomly. Never had I thought I could have a part-time job that would be relevant to my major. Never had I thought I could get the job by my stupid, unprofessional CV. And even when I made it to the test round, I still could not believe my CV worked. The whole thing was a miracle.

After all, I got the job, working as an online translator for a media company. This job is amazing by far. There is no fixed time, no need to go to the office every day. All I have to do is do the translation when I feel like wanting to and then send it before midnight.

Most of the translation is about hairstyles and hair products. Not so satisfied, but ok. At least, it’s relevant to my major, which is linguistics.

Like I said, by far, everything about the job is great. It makes me love myself more. I don’t feel hopeless and useless anymore (just in some extends). Anyways, the job is a perfect start for the year 2016, though obstacles are surely there to come in no time.

So!

2016 please be nice to me, please let things run smoothly. I’ve had enough of crazy stuff of 2015. I’ll try my best to be nice too!

Ok, it’s 12:44 AM now. Sleep is coming…

Actually, it depends.

For some people, who tend to isolate themselves from the outside world and just want to hide in their own shells. Then networking is of no use.

But for ones like me, who have been confused finding the aim of life, who tend to think too much about other’s opinions. Networking absolutely should be taken into profound consideration.

My story dated back to the time when I was in high school. I was a shy girl. I had never felt like joining in any extra curriculum activities or making new friends. Studying for university was solely my activity throughout those school years. The problem was that I didn’t think much and also my parents didn’t do much about it. Strangely they had the same opinion as mine: Studying should be the one and only thing in a high school student’s mind.

Then I made it to my dream university, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. Everything about it changed completely who I was. It was like a whole new world. There were so many new faces and new friends. Especially, they all seemed extremely dynamic.

I realized that I had to fit in.

I signed up for clubs, volunteering projects and met brilliant individuals in every field. At the time, I didn’t know much about networking and just had a simple thought of developing myself through those activities.

Time went by and I gradually realized how I was feeling home when being at school, as surrounded me were mostly my peers, my “sisters” and “brothers”. They always smiled at me when I walked by or gave me a warm hug. We had a good time together hanging out as members of the same club, as companions. We helped each other out, together we dealt with various struggles from study things to private life. I realized I had learnt so much from them. I was powered up.

Now, even when it comes to connections outside the university, networking is powerful. I could easily call a friend for help in any job. They will be there and give me a hand.

And what I love the most is that having many friends also gives me the chance to see clearly my identity. My knowledge has been broadened thanks to critical views of various people I know.

I have gained and grown up.

To wrap up, networking is much more than making friends and getting the help. It would energize you and bring to you plenty of amazing experiences.

Let’s open our hearts and let people in. You’ll see magic