What to expect when you're expecting to graduate
Dear Class of 2021,
You’re not prepared for what comes next.
That sounds harsh, but it’s not. No one’s prepared for life after university.
There’s something about aging into your 20s and out of college that no one prepares you for. Specifically it’s the fact that you have to imagine and plan a life after college. This sounds like an obvious fact, but for many, myself included, it wasn’t. The idea of your major turning into a career path is so intangible. How do I even translate my business strategy classes into a real life business analyst role?
A moving target.
Our teenage years we’re told our goal is college. We get to college, we do ok, and then we get the life we want. There’s no translation needed between college and the professional world, because college is supposed to set us up for said professional world. But that’s just not true. A whole other rule book for our industries, our skill sets, our behaviors, is hidden just around the corner.
So why do we elevate college as the key to success?
Not only are we told college is where we’re supposed to be, but in fact others are shamed for not going. And those people often learn the truth sooner than the rest of us: Life doesn’t slow down or stop because you’ve reached or not reached a milestone. It continues anyways.
There are the lucky ones. The ones who know hustle, often by being unlucky in life. (Unlucky in the eyes of socioeconomic standards, not necessarily in love, connection, or stability which so many of us lack.) They push relentlessly toward the clear goal they’ve set or that’s been set for them. They work, they pursue internships, they start things.
But what comes with post grad - for all of us - is a re-evaluation of the standards we measure ourselves by.
You can’t escape.
Whether you’re settled happily into a shiny new job, you’re headed back to school, you’re lost, or you have direction but you’re down on your luck, there’s no escaping the existentialism of graduating.
Here are the questions you’ll end up asking yourself:
What’s my purpose?
How can I make what I’m good at into a career?
Am I even on the right career path at all?
How do I earn enough money to be a human?
And then also earn enough to be a human that travels or enjoys certain luxuries?
Which of my friendships are fulfilling?
And which were just temporary?
What does a healthy relationship look like?
How do I have one?
What even is love?
I can’t tell you how to answer these questions. I’m still figuring out my own answers. But knowing these questions will come up, will keep you from the intensity of unearthing them yourself.
It’s a lot to think about, but post grad is a time for you, us, to bloom. You have the opportunity to get to know yourself in a way you never have before.
Get to know yourself.
Here are some ways to start:
Read as much as possible. It’s the best way to get perspective and knowledge outside of a classroom.
Network wherever, whenever possible. It’s how you get roles before they’re posted.
See a therapist. It’ll help you know yourself better, and help you build better relationships.
Take care of your body. Unlearn your bad habits. Eat better, exercise more, drink water, and get quality sleep.
Start financial planning now. It doesn’t have to be in a big way or well-educated, but thinking about your financial goals now and slowly working toward them will make them even more achievable.
Invest in the friendships, the people who lift you up. You won’t stay friends with everyone from your past. It’s a scientific fact that our inner circle grows smaller as we age.
Have fun. Life’s too short to not pursue joy.
Life continues on. Explore it. Enjoy it. Embrace it. With grace and class.
Congratulations class of 2021. On to the next chapter.
