DEAR HARRIETTE: I am graduating college this year, and I haven't figured out what I am going to do with my life next. I am getting a liberal arts degree, which my parents said would make me well-rounded. While that's true, I have no idea how I am going to earn a living. I have had odd jobs during the summers, but I was fortunate to have my parents pay for my education and supplement me, so I did not have to work. I realize that may not have been the best choice. My parents suggested that I go to graduate school. I don't even know what I would study. They said I can live at home while I figure it out. I'm just so confused. What should I do next? -- Undecided, Detroit
DEAR UNDECIDED: Before you leave your school -- or even if you are already gone -- get in touch with a career counselor or adviser. This person should have been helping to guide you to make smart decisions for your future. It's not too late to get some of that input now. Review your transcript with this person. Talk about the subjects that interested you the most. Think about what types of careers interest you. If you want to go to graduate school, it will be smart for you to have a sense of what you want to do with that graduate degree. Narrow down your list to two or three ideas and then talk through what it will take to make them happen. This should help you to choose.
If you enjoy public service, you may want to enlist in the Peace Corps or another such organization and volunteer for a year or two to learn about the world as you consider your next steps. Ultimately, you will need to make a choice. This doesn't have to be the final choice for your life, but in order to get started being independent, you have to determine what you can do to earn a living.