Surviving Life After College

It's getting to be that time of year...  College graduation time.

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All over the country college seniors are finalizing all their projects, essays, theses, and internships while preparing for their plunge into the adult world.  A lot of my graduating friends have mentioned how scared they are to take this giant step, and that's normal!  Graduating college is a scary thing.  I remember last year at this time, with only a few weeks remaining of my senior year, feeling excited, afraid, and anxious all at the same time.  All of this mixed with relief that you're almost done with all those years of school, a dash of excitement that you're finally on the road to starting your real life, and more fear at the fact that 'Oh crap.  You're actually starting your real life!'  But don't worry; it's not as bad as you think!  I promise that you will get through it and who knows, you may even enjoy your post-college life more!  To help you along here are my tips on surviving life after college (in no particular order):

Have Working Goals and Plans

One big piece of pre-graduation advice is to have some working goals or plans in your head on what you want to do after college, both short-term and (relatively) long-term.  Many choose graduate school right out of college, some already have careers lined up, but the majority fall into the 'I have no idea what I'm doing with my life now.'  To help answer that dreaded question: 'so what are you going to do in the fall?' it's important to start thinking of the options out there.  My main goal after graduation was to move to Spain the following year with one of the English teaching programs I had researched [Auxiliares de Conversación, BEDA, UCETAM, CIEE (offered in 7 countries), and Fulbright ETA (offered globally, check site for details)].

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With all of this in mind I knew I would have to start planning for the applications, start saving money for the initial living expenses abroad, save for student loans payments while abroad, and gain as much experience as possible beforehand.  I planned my budget around what I wanted to do and found enough jobs to cover the expenses I estimated I would need to put my plans into action.  Because I had these working goals in mind so early I am nearly saved up for the flight to Spain, the first three months abroad (in case of payment issues), and my student loan payments for next year.  Remember, it doesn't need to be set goals or plans.  I started out with the idea of going abroad and then worked out how I could make it possible!  If you have your mind set on something you can make it work too!

Get a Job (Any Job)

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That leads into this piece of advice: get a job.  Easier said than done right?  Unfortunately it may not be a dream job in your career but any job is better than no job.  And three jobs are better than one job, right...?  Before you graduate see if the career services office at your university can look over your resume, go to as many job fairs as you can, and if all else fails find some job(s) that help you get by until you kick butt all the way to your dream job.  I graduated with a degree in elementary education and history and I applied for multiple teaching jobs upon graduation but was not chosen (I guess it's difficult when 300+ people applied for one position...), instead I continued with my goals set on Spain and looked for other jobs in the education/childcare field.

I finally decided to take the traditional route to becoming a full-time teacher and applied to be a substitute teacher in different school districts.  On top of that I was hired to be the site director of an after-school program run by the local YMCA, it's not perfect but it works for me because I can still sub in the morning and once a week I work the desk at the Y for my free gym membership.  Try to find something (anything) in your desired field to gain experience and if it's not enough, find another job to help make ends meet until a better offer comes along.  Those pesky student loans won't pay themselves!

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Organize and Understand Your Student Loans/Debt

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Oh student loans, the bane of my existence.  At best they can be confusing and at worst they just make you want to burst into tears.  If you can, get some loan counseling from your university before you graduate.  Start looking at the terms and policies of your student loans; know when your grace period ends, estimate your monthly payments, know what your interest rates are, look into payment plans/deferrals/forbearance if you do not have enough for the monthly payments.  Familiarize yourself with the websites that your loans are based out of so that when you do have to make the payments you know what you'll have to do.  If you can afford to make some payments before your grace period ends to help pay down the principal balance.

I have all government loans and I chose to have the payments drafted from my bank account directly so I don't forget any payments, it had the added bonus that this payment method reduces my interest rates by .25%.  If you start looking at your loans now it won't be so frustrating months from now when you have to start those painful payments!

Create a Budget

I cannot say enough how important it is to create a good working budget.  A good budget will help you organize your finances, keep you on track for your saving goals, and help you retain your sanity as the reality of student loans/debt hits you like a high-speed train.  There are many different budget templates on the internet and most banks may offer some on their websites/locations too.  Find one that works for your life and saving needs.  If your first budgeting attempt doesn't work, don't stick with that template.  I am constantly changing the format of my budget to better suit my needs.  Budgets are meant to make your life easier, not stress you out more.  I think it is most important to consider your income, bills, emergency funds, monthly necessities and saving needs prior to leisure/spending money.  Once what you know what you owe or how much you have to save up for, then you can see how much you have left to spend on going out and entertainment purposes.  That way you can keep from overspending.

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Don't Let the Post-Grad Blues Get You Down

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Adjusting to life after college is not easy.  Many of us went from living in a dorm or with friends to moving back home with our families.  You lose that sense of community, your independence, and your own private space.  The transition from college life to the 'real world' often leaves us with some good old post-grad blues wondering why did we think graduation was good?  What do you do now with your life?  It's hard to say when all you've ever known was being in school and with this economy not giving us the best job market.  This feeling may be stronger for those who still have friends in college.  I know visiting my friends still at my old university makes me feel out of place, like you don't belong anymore; only making the emotions of leaving more challenging.

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Hold in there though, it gets better.  It's important to remember that you're not alone and that many people are trying to come to terms with the same feelings.  I felt the same at first, but once I started working I actually realized that I LOVE life after college.  I love not having classes and I love working, feeling that for once I'm actually taking myself somewhere instead of just doing the classes and work because I have to graduate.  You may be busy, you may be broke, but you are starting out on your crazy, beautiful life and you find that you start doing things you love because you want to do them.  So stay positive and busy and you'll work through those post-grad blues in no times.

Work on your Relationships

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One negative about life after college is dealing with the relationships in your life, and not just the romantic ones.  Out of college it's much harder to meet new people.  You're not constantly surrounded by a community of people around your own age and it can be hard to keep in touch with your friends still in college because of your different schedules.  To make new friends, try to talk with other employees where you work; do you share common interests?  You could look at different social activities in your local community.  Are there any organizations or groups that interest you?  Volunteering is also a great option to meet new and interesting people.  Plus all the new, amazing people you will meet will be a great way to network for your dream job!





With your college friends you already have, part of the challenge may be in the distance that you may be apart now, if this is the case be sure to keep and touch and try to visit when you can.  Having a friend in another city or state is a great reason to take a road trip!  If your college friends are still nearby try to get together when your schedules can work out.  I know how challenging this can be; with my friends it often seems like we're on completely different time frames.  During the week I go to bed much earlier than they do and I often get out of work too late to want to drive over.  If the friendship is worth it, keep putting the effort in and eventually it will work out.

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As for romantic relationships, many people may find themselves in a long distance relationship if they were from different cities, states, or even countries!  Like with your college friends you may be apart from, try to make it work by talking and visiting as often as you can.  Anything is possible if you want it and work enough to keep it strong.  It may not be easy, but a long distance relationship with the right person can absolutely be worth it.

Find a Hobby

This may sound like a silly survival tip, but finding a hobby is a great way to help beat the post-grad blues and work on your relationships.  I know that being busy and working on something I genuinely was interested in helped me get over my bout of post-grad blues.  In my spare time I practice my Spanish, go to the gym, read a lot of books, work on my scrapbooks, and knit.  I know some of those hobbies may not sound interesting for everyone (knitting may not be the 'coolest') but for me they're a perfect way to keep happy and busy when I'm not working.  And some of these are even better because my friends enjoy them too, nothing is better than a hobby you can do with friends and on your own.

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Another thing I enjoy, not quite a 'hobby', is volunteering.  I volunteer for an organization called WaterFire Providence.  It's a non-profit arts organization based out of Providence that sets up events sponsoring the arts every other weekend during the summers (in the Providence locations).  It's based around the fires that are lit around the rivers in Providence, and this upcoming season will be my fourth volunteering on the wood boats.  I was even asked to train to be a captain this season and will have my first training coming up in a few weeks.  Check out the website here: WaterFire Providence.  It's been a great way to meet new people and a great way to network, on the boats we meet a lot of important people in Rhode Island who are our guests.  If you have the opportunity to volunteer somewhere I suggest you take it, it's one of the best feelings to do something you love and help others at the same time.

Enjoy Every Minute!

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Last, but certainly not least, is to enjoy every minute of your life.  Remember that it's your life and do with it what you want and what makes you happy.  If you want to travel, travel.  If you want want to move to another state, do it.  If you want to gets a Master's or PhD, don't let anything stop you.  Live so that you don't regret a single choice you make.  Even if you can't afford your dreams right now, work your butt off and do it a few years down the road; you're never too old for happiness.  Surviving life after college may be a struggle at times, and you may get down, but always remember that you can do it.  Remember to stop and smell the roses, that sometimes those 'huge' problems really aren't so big.  And most importantly remember that yes, you are tough enough and yes, you deserve the best.  So enjoy what life after college brings you!

What are your tips for surviving life after college?