CONGRATULATIONS!!! You’ve officially graduated and received your degree. After what seemed like endless years of late-nights, cramming for exams, and crumbling from mental breakdowns- you’ve made it! As you finish unpacking and settling back in at home, that’s when it starts to hit you… now what?

“Congrats grad!!! We’re so proud of you!!! So, what are your plans this summer?”

“Wow, I can’t believe you graduated university!!! What’s the next step? Traveling? Grad School? Working?”

“So… how’s job hunting coming along? Ready to start working for the rest of your life?”

Hearing the standard graduation procession song and turning the tassel on your cap felt like a breath of fresh air. It’s a moment of glory where you think to yourself, “Damn, I actually did it.” But it doesn’t seem to last long as it feels like you’re getting the wind knocked out of you from the constant pressure and expectations of what’s to come next.

It’s almost as if you’re not traveling to foreign countries or working a full-time job, you’re not really doing anything worth talking about. But what if you just want to relax? After four years of constantly studying for something or simultaneously managing a part-time job, you feel like you deserve a little break! At least one last summer vacation before you’re stuck working for the rest of your life. However, due to societal standards and expectations, you feel bad taking any break whatsoever.

“The problem with our society is that we focus too much on productivity and the end result rather than progress.”

JC

I mean, ca’mon, isn’t there a quote about appreciating the journey rather than being so quick to reach the destination? What is everyone in such a rush for? I don’t believe that we should judge people for wanting to take a little break because everyone works at their own pace. As my best friend once told me, “Take a break until you feel comfortable. Once you’re fully relaxed, you finished settling in, and you’re just starting to think to yourself.. “what now?” That’s when you should start your new journey.” And I think that right there is the key: you should start to feel uncomfortable. Think about it, if you live your life comfortably for a period of time then that just means you could be doing something more.

Don’t get me wrong, post-grad life has personally been tricky for me. I had to move out of my childhood home, find a job, get my own health insurance, and start working immediately. In my mental state, I didn’t feel quite ready for it… at all. After living out-of-state for four years, I wanted at least a month to situate myself. Unpacking 20+ boxes, donating a bunch of old/unnecessary stuff in my old room, and catching up with all of my friends back at home. I also spent some quality time with my boyfriend and then went on a short getaway trip to Vermont with my family. All in the meantime trying to plan my sister’s Bridal shower and
Bachelorette party this summer! (geez)

During all of this time, I’ve been applying for different full-time positions (getting a countless amount of rejection letters) and trying to network with different people in the industry. By the time June passed, I was officially settled back home but my mom quit her job and then moved out-of-state with her boyfriend. It was at this moment, that it started to sink in- the discomfort.

So, I packed up my bags and temporarily moved in with my boyfriend for the summer. Fast-forward to present day, I finally landed my first full-time job and even picked up a paid-internship on the side! I also plan on creating a depop account to sell clothes to fellow fashion lovers (stay tuned for that.) Right now, I’m just working on relocating for my new job which means trying to find the best apartment that best suits this new lifestyle that I’m adapting. (I also have to find my own health insurance plan and start budgeting for future investments and wow, I really am not ready for adulthood.)

So, without further ado, here is a list of things that I wish people had told me so that I could be more emotionally prepared for post-grad life:

  • Only 5 in 80 students in my major were offered a full-time position during their senior year to prepare them for post-grad. So, don’t be discouraged just because you graduated without a job. Congratulate yourself for graduating college in the first place!
  • Even if you had an internship during your college experience, that does not guarantee you a full-time job afterwards. (This didn’t happen to me, just an observation that I made.)
  • If you DON’T have any internship experience please make sure you have some sort of leadership experience from previous organizations in college- this will help substantially. (Ex: I never worked an internship before but led two different organizations during my college career.)
  • If you’re in a similar situation where you have to find your own health insurance but you can’t find a well-paying job that offers you benefits then call this number: 877-395-8930 to apply for MedicAid. It is a long and tedious process but you can apply for it if your monthly income is less than $1,300 and if you are not listed as a dependent under your parental guardian.
  • When job searching: EXPAND YOUR LOCATION. Even if it scares you to move out-of-state right after college. Look for jobs within a three-state radius so moving won’t be too much of a hassle. But if you are only looking for jobs in one area, I can tell you now that finding a good job will be exponentially harder. (Ex: I expanded my search from just Philly to Delaware, New York, and Maryland!)
  • NETWORK. NETWORK. NETWORK. Build your connections on LinkedIn and social media. Follow people who have the same interests or share a similar field with you. Also, email your program advisor and ask for any alumni connections who are in positions that you’re interested in!
  • Never ask someone for a job when networking. The whole point is to build a community of people that you can ask for advice or even just to gain more insight about the industry that you want to work in!
  • Finally, don’t be afraid to print out some resumes and go in-person to see what positions the company is hiring for. Chances are, you’ll get an interview on the spot since you have your resume with you!

People always say that college will be the best four years of your life. Whether you continued to play sports, led an organization of some kind, or were a part of a performance group- the college experience was a unique journey of personal growth and independency. Nothing will ever beat the feeling of living on campus and making memories with your friends.

Having “family dinners at the d-hall” every night before walking back to the dorm to have late night study sessions in the lounge. Or finishing all of our homework and studies in time so we can go to that huge party on the weekend? Remember that one time that you got so drunk, you don’t even remember how you got home? How about attending home games just to get the free school shirt during half-time? Or maybe… it was all of the little moments in between. Like, staying up until sunrise talking to your close friends or laughing your asses off in the dorm room. Or staying at the dining hall talking about anything and everything, even be-friending some of the workers there. Or maybe it was sitting in the passenger side of your friend’s car after a long day and talking for hours.

My point is, college was freaking stressful and to say that it was the best four years of my life would be kind of a stretch. But in between all of the significant events in my life, there were little moments nestled in the safe spaces there. From my dance rehearsals, to performing on countless stages, to styling for magazine photoshoots, and going to my classes- the little moments that I’ve shared with people in between and the bonds that I’ve created with them are irreplaceable.

From senior year of highschool Jessica to new-and-improved college graduate Jessica, I definitely feel like I’ve experienced positive growth. Although, even after writing this blog post, I don’t think that anyone can actually be prepared for adulthood. But, what I can tell you is to have hope that everything in life happens for a reason and good things will happen in time. You just have to believe in yourself and re-fuel that fire inside you. There is no direct guide to life and doors to new opportunities won’t just open for you. Sometimes, you have to create your own path and go from there.

So, what are you waiting for? There’s a whole life out there ahead of you!

Your fellow confused graduate,

Jessica