What Nobody Told Me About Life After Graduation

How to navigate the post-grad blues

For most of my life - and probably yours too - fall came with the routine of heading back to school. You enjoy summer vacation off with friends and family, maybe work a part time summer job or internship, and return back to class schedules. Well as September approaches again this year, the feelings that arise are quite different when you are a recent graduate. For me, instead of packing for a move-in date, I’m still at my summer job with nothing concrete planned for the near future. Obviously I knew this day would come - but this new transition has left me feeling a way no one had prepared me for.

The expectations and realities of post-grad life are vastly different. Many of us feel pressure — whether from ourselves or others — to land a job quickly after graduation. However, it's a lot easier said than done. A lot of graduates face months of job applications, rejection emails, or come across positions that they don’t feel connected to. You may not immediately land a job that aligns with your passion or even major that you spent the last 4 years working towards. The job search can be grueling, making it very easy to feel discouraged. On top of that, your peers and friends around you be experiencing the opposite and announce exciting new job positions or making big moves. Watching others find success can make you feel self doubt, and maybe you start to ask yourself what am I doing wrong?

What's most important to remember is that everyone’s timeline looks different — and that doesn’t make yours less valid. My first piece of advice is: stop comparing yourself to others. I know it's a phrase we hear all the time but for this, it's truly so important. Especially with social media, it can feel like everyone else is thriving and your'e falling behind. But remember, your feed is a highlight reel. So try not to internalize those comparisons. Just because someone else lands a job sooner, doesn’t mean yours isn’t on the way. Plus, I think it's safe to say many of the ones who do land jobs are also adjusting to their new lives. Perhaps they are stressed and unsure if they’re even in the right role. Having a job doesn’t always equal happiness or fulfillment. In reality, all recent graduates are experiencing the same transition and everyones going to move at different paces.

Still, knowing that doesn't eliminate the feeling of isolation that comes after leaving the college bubble. I like to refer to it as a 'bubble' because it truly feels like one. Friends, extracurricular activities, classes, and support systems are all within walking distance. You’re surrounded by people who are all on the same schedule as you, facing the same deadlines, and enjoying the same days off. We become so accustomed to these daily interactions, that it can feel lonely without it. Once your'e out of the bubble, you realize how much of a community you were apart of. And while everyone says “this is just adulthood,” it doesn’t make the change any less overwhelming when you’re living through it for the first time.

My second piece of advice? Make an effort to stay connected. It's no longer as easy to hang out with friends and make weekend plans. Everyone is moving in different directions and on different paths, so it's up to you to decide how much effort you want to give. Luckily social media helps us stay in touch, but I believe in order to truly 'keep up' with friends from college, it requires more intention. The little things like a quick FaceTime call while you’re making dinner, or sending a quick text asking how they've been, can go a long way. These little check-ins matter even more now because they take intentional effort. Friendships may look different after graduation, but different doesn’t mean they're gone or weaker.

As you might be spending more time alone, and perhaps feeling lost, it's good to keep busy in doing things you enjoy. As a social person myself, I tend to get down when I don't have a lot on my schedule. This transition period feels almost like a waiting game until those bigger decisions finally come along. There's only so much you can do in the meantime. However, you can use this time to learn more about yourself. Find what makes you happy and try to think about what you truly want out of life, not just what society expects. Taking small steps toward understanding yourself can make the bigger transitions ahead feel less overwhelming because you'll have more confidence in what you want.

Lastly, remember: YOU HAVE TIME. Don't let the pressure from others or internal pressure to have it all figured out keep you from realizing that it's okay to take life at your own pace. Keep your determination and drive, but also give yourself grace. I like to believe everything happens for a reason. Opportunities are going to come when they’re meant to — there’s no need to rush or force the process. Trust that you’re exactly where you need to be right now.

Post-grad depression is real and felt by so many graduates. Although it can be incredibly challenging, for some reason it's not talked about enough. If you're deep in the post-grad trenches right now, just know your'e certaintly not alone, and it won’t last forever. Every small step you take forward counts, and is moving you closer to where you're meant to be.