By: Alexandra Martinez, Follow South Jersey Intern
Graduating college means it’s finally time to wrap up around two decades of your academic journey as a student, and kickstart the beginning of your post-graduate life in the “real-world.”
Leaving college can be a huge culture shock after spending so many years on a campus that likely has shaped significant portions of your identity. Mentally, socially, and physically, many elements are bound to change that you may not even have control over. However, whether you have been eagerly anticipating the big day or not, a new realm of uncharted territory (And probably some level of uncertainty) awaits.
Oh, also not to mention that no longer being a student means that now your next official title is entirely your responsibility. Also known as your grade or degree status in school won’t be available as a default when people ask what you’re currently doing in life.
The college environment you likely considered a piece of home, now becomes a place of cherished memories filled with reminders of a time in life that is now mostly in the rear view. It does sound a bit dramatic and that’s not to say there aren’t a million more things to look forward to ahead, but the sameness of life in college will never return. It’s truly the end of an era, if you will.
Of course, all dramatics aside, this transition is expected but sometimes the harsh reality of what follows is not. In 2023, a national student survey found that 71% of college graduates claimed they were stressed and anxious while preparing to enter the workforce upon graduation. Now add the pressure of having to essentially navigate building the foundations for the rest of your life immediately after graduation to the equation, and things can get much more complicated.
While many graduates end their college careers knowing exactly what occupation they’ve been working toward and may even have a job offer awaiting them, many others experience a period of vast and extensive searching. Searching for a career that appears fulfilling, searching for a city that has everything on the checklist, searching for new hobbies to fill the time that was spent studying and attending class, searching for fun ways to lead an active and healthy lifestyle, and searching for what the heck you want to do with the rest of your life (There was no class to take for that one).
If you find yourself even remotely in this boat of searching, you are for one; definitely not alone. An estimated four million students will have graduated from college in 2024, and it can be guaranteed that not every individual has their perfect career and life plans set out already (Despite what you might think and see on LinkedIn).
Whether you’re a post-grad yourself, going to be a post-grad, or you’re a parent/guardian/grandparent/family member/friend of a post-grad, we can all agree on a few things. Job or no job, being a college post-grad is a period of crucial transformation and often requires guidance from those who have been through similar experiences before.
Although being a young post-grad is certainly a stress and anxiety inducing time, there is plenty of time to figure out all the logistics floating around, whatever they may be. A lot of young post-grads hear from their older professionals that this window of experiences and existence is challenging and elicits a lot of mental obstacles when trying to navigate adulthood. It is completely normal, and often widely labeled as nothing that cannot be overcome. Eventually in time, you’ll see that you ended up exactly where your career meant to land you!
So, in an effort to relieve some of the post-grad chaos of entering adulthood, here are just three tips, reminders, and realities (in no particular order) of this impending time in life.
- Use The Freedom of Time
It is quite a radical shift going from the structured routine of college into a completely new schedule. For some, their time has notably opened while others have demanding days that prompt their days off to be extra valuable. In either case, it is important to find ways to meaningfully spend your time off from work.
Consider it an investment. An investment in your hobbies, your relationships, your business ideas, your health, your travel goals, that bucket list you have always put off, etc. Whatever it is, you name it! Refilling your body mentally, physically, and spiritually is never wasted time and can create a huge shift in everyday experiences.
- Explore Your Goals and What It Means to Be You
A little self-discovery if you will. Spend time analyzing what it means to be successful to you, what you care deeply about, what you want your life to look like, and use that to create measurable and attainable goals. Seriously, reach for the stars with this one. It sounds painfully cliche, but those who are bold enough to have a vision for their life and continue to see it through, are the ones who achieve it.
It’s ironic how much of what we’re told from a young age returns during this period of life. However, none of this will come without hard work, dedication, and probably some sacrifice. Find what your dreams consist of and analyze how much they mean to you in terms of what you can afford to give and do, to make it happen. This will likely provide some sort of initial direction, and it’s okay if you can’t go all in at once. Gradual steps are better than no steps.
- Be Purposeful
While in school, it’s so easy to put off things you maybe want to do, learn, get better at, or get involved with. The excuse of school itself, and always knowing there was a following school year makes the illusion of there being limited time to dive into these endeavors prevalent. Sometimes it is hard to maintain these things while juggling school, extra curriculars, and work, but now is a perfect time to start.
Life will always be busy, and there will most definitely always be another thing coming. Being intentional about what you’re doing now will only pay off in the best ways down the road. Your future self will thank you for taking up new skillsets, knowledge, and exploring different avenues because it will configure into surprising ways throughout your life. There are a lot of things about living as an adult that aren’t taught in school, and being purposeful about wanting to execute them to the best of your ability is so important.
So, there is a lot of advice out there for just about everything, including post-graduate advice and guides. It’s up to you to find what resonates and seems practical for your own journey. The one thing that remains universal is that this time in your life won’t last forever! Take the initiative and learn how to use it as time that is most meaningful and fulfilling to you, in whatever way that may be.
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