If you are anywhere near the end of your college career (and often even if you’re not), you most likely get asked often about your post-college plans. For the past few months, I have answered this as honestly and realistically as I can: I am going to work in the service industry.

This is not always the answer my friends and family want to hear, given that they are figuratively and literally invested in my education.

My mother, as mothers are wont to do, began nagging me mercilessly about it as soon as she found out about my plans. She said I was being negative. I said I was being realistic about the current economic climate. She said I was being lazy. I said I was being realistic about my own abilities.

I said it so many times that at some point I really believed it was what I wanted and that it was my only option.

Some facts: In the United States today, 317,000 waiters and waitresses have college degrees. About 25 percent of all retail sales persons have college degrees. There are 365,000 cashiers in the United States today that have college degrees.

At the restaurant where I worked for two years during college, every single server had a college degree.

In 1992, there were 5.1 million “underemployed” college graduates in the United States. In 2008, there were 17 million “underemployed” college graduates in the United States. The unemployment rate for college graduates under the age of 25 is over 9 percent.

In the face of this, I crumbled. What my mother should have accused me of was living in fear. I was afraid I would get out there and I wouldn’t measure up. I was afraid everyone else wanted it more than me, would work harder and smarter than me. I was beat before I even started. I became convinced that I simply did not have what it takes in this extremely competitive job market. Fear of failure made my coping mechanisms kick in. I was able to convince myself that I didn’t want it. I didn’t care about the career. I was content working at the neighborhood breakfast joint forever.

Now, a necessary disclaimer: I don’t intend to disparage those working in the service industry. As far as I am concerned, there should be a law requiring everyone to be a server at some point in their life. It is hard work. Tip your servers for the love of God.

But there is still an idea in this country that higher education can better your life. College graduates should have the option of something more if they want it. And somehow, I became convinced that I didn’t have another option. I let dire predictions and media hysteria convince me of the worst. I was swept up in the wave of economic uncertainty and apocalyptic predictions of impending doom! It seemed to me the world was banging its collective head against the wall of purpose and progress, with me stuck in the middle.

I justified my decision; it doesn’t matter. My job is not my life, I proclaimed! I can be happy and fulfilled doing anything! Both of these statements are true, but I was using them to defend my balking in the face of a challenge, using these statements to justify my fear of failure. But why give up before trying? One day I woke up and realized I had to go for it. I could not let fear quell my ambition.

I am graduating this semester. I have applied for big girl jobs. I finally realized I deserve one. I can kick a big girl job’s ass.

And if in a few years, you find me living in my parents’ proverbial basement, working at the neighborhood breakfast joint, then you’ll know that I gave it my best. And that I make a damn good Bloody Mary.

Karin Curley is a graduating Loyola senior and can be reached at [email protected]

In My Opinion is a regular column open to all Loyola students. Those interested in contributing can contact [email protected]