You are in your early twenties holding four years of hard work on your hands with some silly and sensible aspirations in your eyes. The moment when you wear your black graduation robe, the moment when your name is announced on the stage, the moment when you see the tears of pride rolling down the cheeks of your parents, the moment when your favorite teachers congratulate you, and the moment when you toss your hat in the air and look up in the sky, you feel amazingly blissful.

The very next day, your alarm rings and wakes you up in the morning, and just when you are about to get ready for your college, you realize it is all over. No more classes, no more assignments, no more morning breeze on your face as you walk your way to college, no more early morning cheesy good mornings to your teachers, no more chit-chat with your friends before the class, and no more college life. You feel still. You feel confused and curious at the same time. You don't know what to do next. Opinions of self-proclaimed counselors spring up like popcorn in your life, and you feel lost like never before.

So, what do you do next? You probably may go in front of the mirror, stand tall and congratulate yourself on being officially jobless before everyone else does. Doing so may sound really funny at the moment, but it can act as a first stage of acknowledging your situation and accepting it, which can lead to finding answers for your directionless mind.

Though we might not be an expert to tell you what to do, we might help you consider certain things that can help you plan your post-grad odyssey. Let's get started.

Further Studies vs. Job Experience

After graduation, choosing between studying further and gaining job experience is always a dilemma. Well, the decision is all yours because your goal determines your life choices. Suppose you want to have a scholarly pursuit, love to do research and contribute your academic findings to the well-documented, well-preserved, and well-celebrated collection of world knowledge. In that case, you can pursue further studies like master's and doctorate degrees and embark on a journey of curiosity and inquisitiveness. But, if you think you are better off applying your existing knowledge in a job setting, want to contribute to society by being involved directly in economic activity, learning on the job, and solving problems in the real-life scenario on your own, you might want to get some job experience first. Job does make you practically relevant, so do further studies. It is just a matter of choice and finding out your passion. Do you want to solve real-world problems by being a logical thinker or a practical doer? What is your passion, and what do you want to be?

Note: Passion is often confused as something only prodigies have in their lives. But, the reality is even an average person can have a passion, no matter how big or small it is. A credit officer in a bank might have a passion for adding numerous economic activities in the country and promoting businesses via loan appraisals. A teacher might be passionate about sowing the seeds of knowledge in young minds and hoping for a future filled with adult minds with the vision to transform society. Passion can be anything and can be found everywhere.

Study Abroad vs. Study Nepal

Well, if you decide to study further, you might find another dilemma of whether to go abroad or stay in Nepal. Again, the choice depends upon personal circumstances, the field of study, and career choice. If specific courses in Nepal are great, like Buddhism and Fine Arts, you can stay in Nepal. If you cannot travel abroad for some reason, studying in Nepal is not a bad idea due to the presence of reputed universities like Kathmandu University and Tribhuvan University. But, if you want to experience globalization, diversity, and learning together, you can opt for abroad. Lastly, once you decide that you want to study abroad, please note that job experience of one to two years helps you get admission with scholarships in universities in the US. Please refer to Which Country Is Right For You To Apply? for reference.

Start A Business vs. Join a Start-Up

You have all the knowledge now. So, should you directly commence a business or take time to learn the nuances of business by joining a start-up? Working for a start-up for at least one year to develop a general understanding of operating a business in Nepal is recommended. A business requires thorough planning; your economic, legal, and technological aspects must be in check, your strategies must be in place, and your contingency plan must be on point. You learn to manage a business by experience, and you get it by joining a start-up or, let's say, finding a mentor you can trust.

Specialization Course vs. General Course

Being a specialist can confine you to one department or industry and stagnate your growth, but being a generalist can help you understand different perspectives, escalate your growth, and widen your horizon. Yet again, it is wonderful if you want to go for specialization courses, and it is equally fantastic to go for general courses. Let's face it, not everybody wants to be the center of attention, right? Some people like to be confined to one specialized area and call themselves experts, like architects, doctors, lawyers, archeologists, data analysts, data scientists, etc. Some people like to be in top-level management of a business or government bodies and leverage their career; they opt for general courses like Public Policy and MBA. Therefore, it is an ecosystem; everybody is significant, so it does not matter what course you choose. The only thing that matters is why you choose.

Getting Married vs. Staying Single

Lastly, as always, experienced by all Nepalese in their twenties, the shooting of the questions related to marriage. 'When will you get married? I know someone just right for you, it is getting too late, you should start to think about marriage"- all types of unnecessary nudges that happen due to the existence of our over-concerned relatives and you trying to dodge them all just to realize it as a failed attempt that can't be justified. Uff, emotions aside, the bottom line is not to get married unless and until you are financially independent, emotionally stable, and have the right compatible partner by your side. Till then, staying single, bold, and focused is the way to go.

To sum up, what to do after your bachelor's degree should solely be your decision. It is always best to take opinions from different experts in their field but never gets lost because opinions are derived from individual perceptions and experiences, and each of us has a different perception and experience, to begin with. Judging your journey by looking at others is a big mistake. Take a calculated chance, be firm on your vision, and move forward. As we echo, the only thing that matters is the rationality of your choice.