I Graduated College, Now What?

Yes! You’ve made it! All that hard work for 4+ years has finally paid off. You have a nice, big piece of expensive paper that lets companies know you are worthy of a pay check. No more term papers, final exams and crappy professors. Life is good right? NO. You’re coming down off the high of graduation and thinking “What is life?”. For many of you, the worst has just begun (hahaha). Not really. But what you imagined about life after graduation is NOT going to be your reality. At times, it will suck. You will want to quit. You will cry real tears. You will throw things. But you are not the first or the last to be in disarray after the BIG day. So I’m here to tell you 10 things to do (or not to do) once you graduate college. Listen up. Take notes. Thank me later.

1. Move in with your parents: Look, I know you’re used to your college freedom. You lived on your own with no parental supervision for practically 4 years. But let’s be honest here: you’re broke. Even if you got a job right after you graduated, you have to wait for the checks to start rolling in. So do yourself a favor; depend on your parents again. Live with them and save your money. Pay on the credit card you lived off of senior year (or was that just me?). Rough it out until you are truly stable enough to be on your own again.

2. Get a job as soon as possible: I know you want a break. However, the longer you wait the broker you become. The job market isn’t what it used to be, so it will (for the most part) take longer for you to find a position that – 1. you are qualified for & 2. is in your field. It’s OK to be selective when choosing to apply for a position. But truly explore all your options. Example: I graduated with a degree in business management. I searched for MONTHS, interviewing for jobs I absolutely could not see myself doing. Ironically, I ended up finding a non-commissioned sales job. I’ve had this job for over a year and I enjoy it. I never in a million years thought I would be working in sales, but it turned out to work for the better!

3. Pay those student loans: Salle Mae ‘n nem will be hassling you the MINUTE you walk across that stage, knowing good and well you have no money. But don’t continue to defer those loans! If you’re not making much money, apply for the ‘income based’ payment plan. The interest on those loans are a bit ridiculous and you don’t want to be in debt forever (or ruin your credit).

4. Explore: You are young. You have few obligations outside of taking care of yourself. So intern. Take a job out of the city/state/country you’ve spent your entire life in. Explore other cultures. Travel. Take up new hobbies. Find who you are outside of school. See what this world has to offer before settling down and don’t apologize for it!

5. Get rid of all extra baggage: That means old friends from high school that are no longer on the same page as you AND relationships that are stagnant. If you cannot see yourself growing with a person, leave them alone. They will be hard to drag along once you begin to figure out your life. They are comforting, but don’t let the comfort of having them around hold you back from whatever it is that you want.

6. Move forward: No one cares that you were valedictorian in high school. You’re one of many. No one cares that you were secretary of an organization in college. You’re one of many. Stop focusing on the great things you achieved in high school and college because they are no longer as awesome as they used to be. It’s time to make something of yourself in the real world, where it really matters. Use the skills that you learned during those times and apply them to execute greater tasks. Keep growing.

7. Accept change: Many things will happen. You will make decisions and change your mind frequently. Things will not go as planned. That’s the joy of this time in life. The change is absolutely necessary to get to where you need to be. If you can’t embrace it and go with the flow, your life will forever be in shambles.

8. Realize life isn’t fair: Good guys/girls often do finish last. But don’t let that discourage you. When you see losers from high school or individuals without a degree getting ahead, use that as fuel to push yourself even harder. Don’t be a stranger to hard work, long nights and frustration. These are essential to the process of growing.

9. Fail: It will happen. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Just have a strong support system (friends and family) to pick you up when it happens. Remember, the idea is to fail early in life when you don’t have much to lose. So it’s ok, for now.

10. Dream: Pursue those ideas that were just a figment of your imagination way back when. You went to college. You have skills and resources. Use them! Get a flexible job to supply your funds and start working on building your business. Build a team, do your research, take your time and make strategic decisions.  Don’t let fear hold you back. Go for it, no regrets!

*** I graduated from college almost 2 years ago (May 2013). I knew grad school wasn’t an option I wanted to explore right away, and I didn’t know what steps I needed to take in order to achieve my dreams. So I moved back in with my parents (yuck) and took a non-paying internship for the summer. I was BROKE; living off of money I made through my business and funds that my parents and family blessed me with. I felt like a complete failure because I did not imagine struggling THAT much. I finally got a part time sales job and things began to look up. I continued to grow my business, then started my blog in February of this year… In just under 2 years of post grad life, I have learned all of the things above. I’m living them! It’s tough, believe me. I know the struggle all too well. But it’s a part of the process. Embrace it. Learn from it. And don’t compare it to anyone else’s journey.