This is NPR's life kit and I'm a list-nade warning an education reporter. What are you gonna do after you graduate?

God. Yeah, I know. It's seriously the worst question.

Some students hear this question super early like before classes even begin.

Now, did everyone know that you are in an exploratory phase of your life?

Did you? I mean, come on colleges for growing and learning and figuring out a whole bunch of stuff, but these are hard questions.

What are your strengths? What are your passions? How do you want to get involved in the community?

How do you want to get to gain experience? How do you want to explore different careers that are out there for you?

To start to answer some of these questions, students at Grinnell College, a small school in Iowa,

they're spending time during orientation to make something called a wandering map.

I like it to flip over your green sheet. The idea is to write down a bunch of stuff that they enjoy.

How do you use your free time? Like what type of YouTube videos do you just totally go down a rabbit hole and in like

I could just watch these for hours. And once you write all the stuff down, then you draw lines to demonstrate the connections.

You're looking for themes. And it's a way for you to reflect on your story up to this point.

In this episode, we'll help you reflect on your story. We've got tips for how to think about what you want to do,

and then go out and actually get a job. Maybe even a career. And look, I get it.

It took a lot to get to this point. I mean, you got into college after all. And if you're about to graduate,

woo, but it's just kind of assumed like, yeah, sure, you'll get a job when you're done.

My career ideas would change all the time. Like I was never 100% set on what I really wanted to do and what I would be good at.

We'll hear from a student who changed directions. Like so many young people. She thought she was on a pretty clear path.

You're doing that stuff. They told you you should do since you were six. You did all that stuff, you know,

and then it's supposed to be great. So it just do all these things that will be great. And now you're suddenly graduating. And like, where's great?

I thought this thing was coming in a box. It is not showing up. And then you suddenly realize they didn't even really tell you how to make that transition at all.

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