By Donatella • 6 Comments
Summer is coming to an end, which means you’re now officially a college graduate and believe me graduates… there are things to overcome after graduation. Don’t freak out; the things to overcome after graduation are all tolerable and I’m here as your guardian older sister to tell you how I was able to find myself and cope.
One of the most difficult things to overcome after graduation is not having a structure. Sure there are times during college years that seemed unstructured but for the most part you, along with all of your classmates, were under the umbrella of the university and each scholastic year and each class was predetermined for you. Not having a set structure terrified me after college but I had to learn how to cope.
Where do I fit in? What job fits me best? Where should I live? Should I live alone or with a roommate? These were the questions that haunted me after school. There was so much confusion the first few months post college that I almost didn’t know how to handle all the stress. To cope with confusion I had to look deep within myself and ask: What do you love to do? What makes you happy? Once I identified those two things, life made more sense.
Paying rent/electricity/gas bills. Time management. Money management. These are all the fun additional responsibilities you’ll take on post college. For those of you who had to pay your way through college or lived off campus, my heart goes out to you. In my case, I was slapped really hard in the face post college because I had zero experience in having to deal with such things.
Talk about second-guessing yourself – I was triple and quadruple guessing myself after college. Uncertainty became my middle name. I felt like a lost sheep with nowhere to go. Since I majored in finance and economics in college and discovered after an internship that I hated the industry, I needed to find out where I fit and what encouraged and inspired me to get up in the morning. It was tough but I learned how, and so will you!
College is over. It sucks, doesn’t it? It’s true when they say that college years are the best years of your life. I was obsessed with school and loved my university. I was so involved and didn’t ever want to leave. I had to cope with the frustration of knowing I wasn’t going back. Now, a year out of school already, I miss it every day but have learned that college memories will always be in my heart and it’s now time to move on to another chapter in my life. I have to say, it’s been a rocky journey (which is why I haven’t been able to write a new article in over 2 months!) but I see how beautifully complicated life is and have learned to ride the waves.
If you ever felt like you missed out of something in college or feel like there is so much out there in the world that you want to see, just do it! Although doubt will always follow people around no matter the age, don’t allow doubt to rule your life.
Family wants me to be this. I want to be that. Society wants me to be all that. It’s crazy being in the real world. When you’re in college, it’s almost an excuse to “still be searching” or “still have questions”. But post college, it’s like the world wants you to have it all figured out. Well in my case, I first started LIVING the day after graduation and I felt like I was being pulled in so many different directions. I had to learn how to pick my battles and do me.
You’re only young once. YOYO. That should be the new saying. Don’t be afraid to graduate. Although it’s scary and confusing and you may not know which way is up, believe in yourself, find the right friends and family members to help you grow, and trust that everything happens for a reason. When it rains, it pours. I know that. But even in the midst of, what may seem like a mistake at first, you’ll see that your life will always fall into place and it will always work out. If you’re doubting, need a friend, or need to vent…leave a message with a way for me to contact you. XO
Sources
collegeaftermath.com