Navigating Life After College

By: Julia Porcu

Life after college can be exciting and challenging at the same time. 

College graduation can be one of the most tremendous occasions of your life. However, it’s more than just a completion of school and a degree. It is the final transition into adulthood. 

Experts from U.S. News say that there is a variety of different emotions that students typically experience when they think about college graduation. They are happy that they have made it so far, but there is also that feeling of anxiety and fear of what may come next. 

Your first year of freedom can be intimidating. A lot of college students, like me, find themselves wondering what the next steps are. Is it finding a job, learning to budget, or moving out? 

There are some tips and tricks that I have learned and planned to use to navigate life after graduation. In terms of searching for jobs, it is best to explore, prepare, network, and gain experience. 

Exploring helps you find out your preferences or things most important to you in the workplace and how they will pertain to your real life. Some students reflect on their experience while others take career assessment tests to gain an understanding of what they want in life.

Preparation involves getting a proper resume together, writing cover letters, creating a LinkedIn profile, collecting the work you are most proud of, and putting it into a personal portfolio. 

Networking is not only most important, but also most effective. Graduating college students are encouraged to connect with friends, professors, alumni, and professional associations, and attend as many networking events as possible. Asking people questions and inquiring about positions is always a good idea. 

Speaking from experience, most college students tend to tear themselves down after college. Forbes magazine notes that the stress and fear of finding a job can lead to something called post-graduate depression. 

I learned to be resilient, flexible, and to refrain from being discouraged in the job application process. There is a career for everyone out there, and sometimes the journey to find it is not as linear as graduating students like you and I may think.