Graduating from college can be a daunting experience.
While you may be buzzing at the thought of putting your dissertation behind you, there’s also that persistent feeling of fear – worrying about what happens next.
For the first time in over 20 years, your next steps are not paved out for you… and that’s bloody terrifying!
While I couldn’t wait to be finished my time in education, I also got this looming feeling of separation anxiety at the thought of actually being out of it.
Bill Gates took to Twitter yesterday to share some tid bits of advice for this year’s graduating class, and while his advice was incredibly wise and powerful, I don’t have the same insights to offer you – sorry!
Graduating two years ago, the memory seems pretty fresh – so fresh that I still don’t feel like that part of my life is over, I guess because it never really is.
1. Every day’s a school day
*Warning: corny statement ahead*
Just because you’re finished school, doesn’t mean your finished learning. You can always improve, grow and develop in your chosen field.
2. Just keep swimming
You have to be persistent, even if it feels like the current is going against you.
There will be times when you feel you’re already sunk, but you have to remember to keep treading water (OK, I’ll stop with the water puns now).
3. You have time
It won’t happen straight away. It will take time. And you’ll feel like you’ll be forever listed on LinkedIn as ‘Exploring employment options’ while sat in a onesie at home with your parents.
But it won’t be forever. People are going back to college and making career changes much later in life now, so why do we put ourselves under so much pressure to have a full-time, stable job by the time we’re 25?
It’s crazy!
I always tried to prepare myself for the reality that my 20s would be rocky. Not a whole lot of job security, learning from a lot of mistakes, and a fairly dismal bank balance – and I was right.
But the reality of that life sometimes feels like a failure to me. While many of my friends who work in other industries can book holidays, festivals tickets and even buy cars, I still don’t find myself in a position to think that far down the line.
Even deciding when next to get my roots done takes a whole lot of consideration.
4. Baby steps
And I guess therein lies my fourth and final piece of advice – baby steps.
While you may be used to thinking three, four or even five years down the line, when you graduate you no longer have to set those time constraints for yourself – so why do we persist in doing so?
You don’t have to fear being left behind because once you graduate, you set the pace. So take your sweet time.
If you want to go travelling for a year – do it, we’ll all still be here waiting for you when you get back.
If you want to work in something totally unrelated to your course for a while to save money – do it, no experience will ever be a waste.
And if you have absolutely no idea what the hell you’re going to do next – don’t worry, it might not feel like it, but you have nothing but options.
If we’re lucky, we’ve a lot of life left to live, and nobody should be in a rush to get to the finish line.
