As a recent college graduate, it is important to know that it will not be easy once you graduate. You will definitely miss napping in between class, your weekend beginning on a Thursday, and the simplicity of not having too much "adulting". There is not a day when I wake up and not think about my tiny little campus, the few vegetarian options that I used to eat with my friends, and the friendly professors that were more than willing to strike up a conversation in the hallway between classes. Here are three pieces of advice for the college student who is pondering about what post-college life is like.
1. Do not expect to land your dream job right after you graduate.
While most recent graduates are uncertain of their next plan, and either want to take gap years before continuing their education, others may want to find employment that will gain us work experience. Many jobs despite the fancy college organizations that you may be a member of, expect years of work/internship experience to lessen the amount of competition. Remember you are competing with older, more established individuals who may be more qualified than you, so it is okay to be rejected. Think of the fact that the job was not the right fit for you if your application is rejected, or if you are never contacted back after an interview. When you begin working it is important to realize that while some of your friends may be in jobs that they enjoy, you may not be at your ideal job. Unless your place of work is unbearable, stick it out for a year or two to gain the experience and continue on your journey!
2. Expect your social life to be limited.
As stated before you will not be living it up every weekend as in college. Having semesters that provide downtime will differ tremendously when you work 9 to 5, five days a week, with an hour or a half hour for lunch. On certain days you will wake up exhausted and have no choice but to get dressed, hurry to work, and clock in before you are late. Some people may love their first full time job, while others count the hours until they can go home; or until the next holiday. When all of your friends are employed it is difficult to find time to hang out like old times, and your time may be allotted to sparsed visits maybe once a month. It is important to keep in contact with your friends because many of the sentiments that will arise post- graduation, your friends will be sharing with you.
3. Graduating from college is overwhelming...
Being an adult is not easy, but being thrown right into adulthood straight out of college is frustrating, and exciting. Having uncertainty about the future will give anyone qualms, especially a young adult who does not know what job that will land, how to budget, where their first apartment will be, and how to balance it all. Sometimes you will want to curl up in a ball like college students do. However, being an adult means persevering through the tough work days, messy commutes, uncertainty about furthering your education, and making decisions about your personal life. Remember the ride will be bumpy, but we already have overcome numerous obstacles over the past four years so stopping is not an option!
