Debunking myths about the transition from college to the “real world”
Common senior worries for post-grad life
ANNA VALAIK / ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR / THE USD VISTA
Especially for the class of 2022, it seems as though there really was never a pause button on their time at USD. Although COVID surely slowed different aspects of student life down, classes and life still seemed to wizz on by. Now, with all students back on campus and attempting to live normally, seniors are left trying to salvage their last moments on campus and possibly in San Diego.
Accepting that graduation is so soon doesn’t come easily for many seniors. For most, it comes in waves, hits them suddenly, or never really occurs to them at all. Although change is inevitable, rarely do people expect it to come so quickly or know how to prepare for it. Rather, change appears one day and shifts your life around in ways you may or may not be able to control.
As seniors, these people have built a fully-fledged life here, filled with friends, special places, favorite restaurants, and lifelong memories. That’s not something anyone can prepare to give up one day.
However, that’s not the only thing in the future for those graduating. Ending undergraduate education also means, for most, entering a new phase in their lives: post-graduate life. This “post-grad” life, although similar at times, can be wildly different from college and full of a brand new set of responsibilities.
In order to ease these nerves, here are some helpful tips and advice to approach this new season of our lives with grace and enthusiasm:
Finding a Job
If you aren’t someone set to attend graduate school or joining a company from a previous internship, then you are probably searching for a job like a mad person. Scouring the internet and sending your resume to countless postings can get repetitive and overwhelming, so here are some other places to look.
- USD Career Development Center and Career Fairs
- Handshake
- Your Teachers/Alumni
- TEAM for alumni networking
- Indeed
These are all amazing resources to utilize if you want to make this process go a bit smoother. Everyone at USD, from teachers and alumni to fellow students, want to see their peers succeed, so make use of those connections.
Don’t be afraid to have meetings with old teachers or reach out to your network on LinkedIn, inquiring about their career journey and if they have any advice to give.
It’s really all about putting yourself out there and being open to countless options. We all have our dream cities or jobs we hope for, but those don’t always come immediately, which is normal.
The beautiful thing about this world is that we always end up where we are meant to be, even though that might not be what you expected. Look forward to the potential of something new rather than fixating on what you think is the “perfect” post-grad life for yourself.
Meeting People in a New City
Freshman year was the last time many USD students entered a completely new social setting and were forced to find a community of people again. Even if you attended USD with some acquaintances or knew people from your hometown, meeting people and forming new friendships is still a learning experience.
For those graduating seniors who know they are moving to a city where they don’t know many people or even just entering a company as a newbie, cultivating a social life might be a worry of yours.
We have all gotten so used to our friendships in San Diego that we may forget what we value in friends, how to make new ones, or where to even find them.
It’s a scary reality, but it’s something that doesn’t have to be stressful.
The butterflies you get from meeting someone that you instantly click with is one of the best feelings in the world, so focus on that and everything else will fall into place.
If you are worried about meeting people, here are some tips for finding a community in a new city:
- Join a gym or try out exercise classes.
- Always say “Yes!” to plans.
- Reach out to friends of friends.
- Make an effort with coworkers.
- Use social media to connect with people.
- Join a community, whether that be at a church, social club, or through a hobby of yours.
Taking Control of Your Own Finances
Dealing with finances is never easy, and it’s especially difficult for college students who may or may not have had to think of this responsibility before.
A large part of entering the “adult world” is understanding how to budget, open up credit cards, and just generally make larger purchases. Once a larger salary is coming in, it can be difficult to know what to do with it, what to spend and what to save.
Many students aren’t necessarily taught the basics around personal finances, so it can feel a bit overwhelming to all of a sudden be thrown into this world.
This is where particular resources can be especially helpful. For example, sign up for budgeting apps like “Mint” or “You Need A Budget” to learn about your spending habits.
Personal finance books like “How to Adult” and “Simple Money” can also provide you with a general overview of all things saving, investing, and spending. Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice.
Parents, siblings, teachers, and more, have all managed and continue to manage their money. They all have surely been through both good and bad times financially, which means they know what to do and what to avoid when it comes to money.
Missing College Friends
It’s cliche to say, but the friends we make in college become family. You do everything with them: cook meals, celebrate birthdays, walk to class, and go through various ups and downs. For this reason, saying goodbye to those people who you’ve spent nearly four years with can be incredibly difficult.
You go from spending every moment with them to possibly being thousands of miles away or in a completely different timezone.
Although you always want to see your friends succeed, live their life, and embark on new adventures, we also selfishly want to keep them to ourselves for as long as possible.
However, this isn’t a reality, and for many of us, we will have to begin to learn how to keep up with these long distance relationships.
If you are worried about losing touch with your USD friends, there are many ways to avoid that scenario:
- Schedule weekly calls or Facetimes.
- Plan a trip far in advance to their new home/your new home
- Support them no matter what.
- Attend college reunions.
Although all these stresses surrounding leaving USD and entering the “real world” are valid and worthy of attention, they also are too often met with a negative, anxious attitude.
This is not to say that they aren’t scary or nerve wracking; they are, but they are also events that will provide us with countless opportunities to grow, try new things, and see what’s out there waiting for us.
Why can’t we flip the narrative and realize that we get yet another chance to start anew? Our future will now only build upon the beautiful life we created here in San Diego.
Just think back to your freshman year, when you encountered campus for the first time during Olé Weekend. Yes, it was exciting to leave your parents and have freedom to do whatever you wanted whenever you pleased.
But, you would be lying if you didn’t admit there were times when you were nervous or scared for what your future at USD would hold. You were about to take a major leap into this new life, and you had no other choice but to just dive right in.
Now, looking back, reflect on how that turned out. Didn’t the anxiousness eventually float away after you made your first few friends? Didn’t campus start feeling a lot less confusing and more like a second home to you in just a matter of months? Didn’t everything seem to just work out?
Assuming the answer to those questions is a resounding “yes,” I don’t see why the nerves surrounding post-grad life won’t slowly and seamlessly fade away as we come to realize we were in quite a similar situation four years ago and made it out just fine.
San Diego wasn’t home, but it became one.
Wherever you may go and whatever you may be doing, try to look at those experiences with the same glittering, excited eyes you had when you first drove up Linda Vista and saw the beautiful white buildings come into view.
Four years ago, you had a glimpse into your future, and it was as beautiful as it looked. When you leave this campus at the end of your college journey, truly believe that you are given just yet another opportunity to start anew.
How lucky are we to have that? So very lucky.