Graduation
season is upon us, my friends. My friends from my post-bacc year are receiving
their caps and gowns and setting up photo shoots. My second-year grad school
friends are gearing up for their final externships and applying for their Clinical
Fellowship Year jobs. And I’m finally starting to see a light at the end of the grad school
tunnel (472 days until MY graduation, guys! Definitely not counting!!!).
It’s crazy to
think it’s already been four years since I graduated with my bachelor’s degree.
Even though I had an internship, I didn’t have a job lined up yet. I was still
a server at Carrabba’s and my only plans were to visit my sister in Europe and
then move back in with my parents. Despite my lack of plans, the world felt like my perfect little
oyster, waiting for me to take it by storm!
Even though I’m
back in school, I still feel like I’m qualified to give at least some advice in the post-college life
department. I had two whole years of freedom after I graduated college, so here are my best bits of advice for all you soon-to-be grads:
Moving back in with your parents for a
while is okay. I know it
may feel like a step backwards, but if your parents give you the OK to come
back for a bit rent free (or at a low monthly rent), take advantage! My parents
were more than happy to have me move back home after college, but I know that
isn’t the case for everyone. I lived with mine for almost a year after
graduating, and about seven months after I got my first “big girl” job. In that
time, I put nearly $7,000 into my savings account. Definitely worth it!
More money = more problems. With student loan payments looming,
it’s obvious why college graduates immediately chase after the highest paying
job they’re qualified for. Money is great, but keep in mind that 9 times out of
10, a higher salary means higher responsibility which means higher stress
levels (and I don’t know about you, but at 22, I was not ready to be thrown
into the fire). We all want to come out of a four-year degree making $50k+, but
don’t turn down a fantastic job just because it isn’t paying you top dollar
right away. My boyfriend came out of college and started making a decent but
“lower” hourly wage at a big company. He’s worked his ass off ever since, has
been promoted multiple times over the last few years, and has continuous plans
for growth within the company. The money will come, but you have to be willing
to work for it.
Most of your college friendships will
fade, but not all of them.
It’s easy to have a bunch of good friends when you’re in college because you
all live a stone throw across the pool from each other. But unless you all plan
to live in the same town after graduation, maintaining the friendships that
were once so easy might become difficult to juggle. Keep in mind that some
friends are for life, while others are meant for just a few chapters…which is completely fine. I actively hang out
with about four friends from college, and I still keep up with others through
social media and the occasional text. Nurture the friendships that mean the
most to you – distance and time spent apart from each other will never break a
solid bond.
Your first job doesn’t have to be your
dream job. You might not
even know what your dream job is just yet…and even if you do, don’t be
disappointed if you’re not landing interviews right off the bat. It takes time
to figure out exactly what you want from your career (and to gain experience).
Before I decided to become a speech-language pathologist, I got my degree in
public relations…and ended up with a job in sales. While I never saw myself
working in sales, I had a great time at that job and made some great friends.
It wasn’t my “dream job,” but it was a stepping stone, and every day was a
networking opportunity.
It’s totally cool if you don’t have a plan just yet. It’s okay not to have a job lined up immediately
following graduation, if you didn’t get into grad school this time around, if
you don’t have a studio apartment lease signed in NYC five minutes after receiving your diploma. When I first graduated, I thought I’d
move to Chicago or some other big city, have a crazy “single” life, and be 100%
done with academia forever. Reality: I stayed in my beautiful hometown of Tampa
Bay, met my wonderful boyfriend of 3.5 years just a couple months after graduation,
and went to graduate school for SLP. More often than not, life doesn’t go
accordingly to plan, and that is just
fine.
