11 Important Things You Need To Know Before Graduating About Life After College
This post is all about what you should know about life after college.
When I graduated college, I felt so hopeful and excited for the new chapter that awaited me. But I was quickly met with harsh realities that I was TOTALLY not prepared for and situations I didn’t even think of.
The transition from college to post-graduate life was a huge change. Between relationships, career, location, and everything in between, there are so many little issues that come along with figuring out your identity outside of being a student.
Here’s a list of what I wish would’ve been told to me about surviving post-graduate life.
1. the post-grad depression is real
If I can sum it up in one word, it would be lonely. You go from living life with friends that are practically family everyday, to having to call them and tell them about it. On top of that, it’s even more difficult because your day-to-day professional life probably won’t include a concentration of recent graduates your age.
The “real world” comes at you real fast and reality sets in that college is truly over. It’s such a hard transition to go through alone. Post-grad depression isn’t heavily researched by psychologists so while there isn’t much concrete data, it’s important to know you’re not alone and many people go through it.
2. The Identity Issues & Quarter-Life Crisis
For the first-time ever, you’re having to learn how to go through life outside of the identity of being a student. On top of that, you’re doing it without having people your own age constantly surrounding you. As a result, you might wonder more about purpose, identity and hop onto the personal development train.
3. You won’t keep all of your same friends
This is a hard pill to swallow. Your friends will inevitably move all over the country. Some will stay in the same city, some will move out of state to pursue a job, and some will move back in with their parents (like me). With that distance, you’ll learn that some friends were just yours out of convenience. It’ll unfold in the amount of effort that’s put into your relationships.
Of course there will be love there for both of you, but sometimes life gets in the way and people genuinely grow apart. You might be able to tell how the distance changes relationships from the get-go. One of the most devastating things was witnessing the transition from experiencing life with your friends to having to tell them about it from miles away over facetime.
4. The relationships You Do Keep will take work…Like a lot of it
Your platonic relationships are just as important to your mental well-being as your romantic ones and in the same way, they take a lot of work! Relationships can fizzle out so easily because before you know it, it’s been months since you’ve talked. That’s why when it comes to maintaining long-distance friendships, both parties have to be invested and committed. Here are some simple tips that’ll go a long way.
- Figure out what communication style works best (Text, Call, FaceTime, Snail Mail)
- Set a specific time to talk every week, month, etc. (Don’t cancel!)
- Stay Honest and Patient
5. You’ll Have to Fight Imposter Syndrome & The Urge To Compare Yourself To Everyone
With all the people you know going in different directions and moving at different paces, it’s natural to compare your situation against there’s, especially if you’re not where you want to be.
The FOMO (fear of missing out) is real! getting caught up in a time where everyone is at different stages of their lives. Some of your friends will be getting married, some having kids, some still with their parents, some famous Youtubers. Everyone is at a different stage so it’s hard to not get caught up in the comparison especially when feeling lonely.
6. It can be easy to fall into a rut
Wake up, make breakfast, go to work, maybe work out, eat dinner, watch Netflix, sleep. Repeat. It’s a monotonous that’s easy to slip into. No one wants to live a life void of excitement and social events so you have to consciously plan people into your calendar to keep up with your relationships. If you have a busy work-life, plan really fun events or trips 3 months out so you have something to look forward to.
7. You may have the urge to start and pursue passion projects
Life after college gets pretty boring pretty fast. You can easily find yourself in the same predictable schedule of everyday life and really eager to use creativity to disrupt the monotony of everyday life. I would even go as far to say that this is one of the best times to pursue passion projects, start a business, and take leaps of faith!
8. Living Back at Home Is Not Easy
It’s a strange transition going from complete freedom and college life to living back home with your parents. Especially if they still live in the same hometown. There’s nothing wrong with living back home, and don’t let anyone make you feel bad about it! But, you’re bound to run into some conflict that comes with living in a familiar environment after being away for four years. Moving back to your hometown will also show you how much you changed.
9. You’re going to need a completely different wardrobe
Apparently ripped jeans and crop tops are not acceptable to wear all the time, who would’ve thought? Your wardrobe switches to button-ups and slacks. Some of your pieces may be able to work in a professional setting under a blazer, but you’re probably going to have to spend some time at H&M to completely look the part. But investing in a couple of high-quality pieces that’ll last several years is a good way to go!
10. Your First Job Could Be In a different field than your major other careers
It’s okay to not have your dream job right away, most people don’t. According to The Washington Post, only 27% of college graduates pursued a job in their major. The good thing about working is you’ll probably have some transferrable skills that you can take to your next position. You might also discover you want to take your career in a completely different direction. Either way, it’s alright and there’s something to learn from each position you have.
11. College isn’t the best time of your life
Hot take: I know post-grad is hard & lonely, but I’d say there are a lot more opportunities because you actually have the chance to take actionable steps towards the goals you set for yourself. Also, don’t think the best times of your life have already passed, that’s just setting yourself up to be disappointed. I found that once I graduated, I was met with new experiences and the ability to navigate the world as an adult. It’s both challenging and exciting at the same time.
I want to close this out by saying that even though there’s a lot of change and unfamiliarity that comes with navigating your new adult life, not all those transitions are negative!