The Thrills and Chills of Post-Graduate Life
Thrills
You are showered with praise, gifts, and affection on that sunny, mid-spring day. You revel in the fact that all the long hours of studying are over and you will never see a final exam again. You thank your favorite professors for positively shaping your life and silently curse at the ones who almost failed you. You cry and celebrate that college is finally over. You ride out the euphoric high and sleep in your graduation cap.
You made it! You are a college-educated adult. No more books, no more tests, no more ramen noodles. You can finally rest easy knowing you are on the path to true adulthood and ONLY you are responsible for paving the way. Your whole life lies ahead of you. It’s both terrifying, yet exhilarating.
Chills
The service light of your savings account starts flashing red. That pile of bills on the kitchen table has doubled since you last looked. You get an email from Navient about your crippling debt. You realize your resumé hasn’t been updated since you worked at Dairy Queen. Your suit just ripped at the seam. Online applications are scary. Parking tickets litter your trashcan. Rejection letters. Interviews. Internships. The question asked at every family gathering: “So what’s next for you?”
The curtain is finally raised on your post-graduate life.
Still . . .
Despite the rollercoaster ride that being a post-grad entails, you will come out on top. People say college is when you learn most about yourself, but honestly, you learn more after college when you finally take off the training wheels and ride on your own. You learn what you are good at, what you are not so good at, and when to ask for help. You learn your own limits and strengths and how to stand up for what you deserve. Shoot for the best, but take pride in where you end up. You might not land that 100K salary job right out of school, but you always have something to strive for. The only direction for you now is UP. Keep working hard, follow your instincts, do what makes you happy. If you notice that happiness begin to dwindle, do something about it! All the quotes saying “you are the creator of your own destiny” are accurate (albeit, cliche). This is your life, your career, your experience, and your chance to do something with it. Try not to get discouraged by the changes occurring in your life. Take life day by day and make each day special. Sometimes you have to embrace the chaos in order to gain control of your life. Enjoy the ride.
Know your own personal values. Stick to your morals.
Be kind to everyone. Try new things. Stay positive. Set the bar high.
Figure out what makes you happy and do it.
Samantha Clark has her own website at