Things We Wish We’d Been Told About Life After College
From early on, many of us thought of college as our grand plan for after high school.
Whether you're the first in your family to pursue higher education or you're a legacy who will be continuing a generations-long trend of academic excellence, college oftentimes seems like the final step of everything you've worked towards for so much of your life (or pretty much all of it up until now). But while there's a ton of attention on college itself, there's not always so much on what's really important: what comes after you graduate.
Your four years at your chosen university are important, but thinking about life afterward is something that's easy to push to the side. That's because it can feel rather scary, but it doesn't need to. In fact, preparing for what life might look like post-college can be extremely helpful for your future. Thankfully, we're here to help you prepare by offering you a list of the things we wish we'd been told about life after college.
Not All College Friendships and Relationships Will Last Forever
Some friendships are meant to last a lifetime, and there's a good chance that you'll make more lasting connections like this in college than you did in high school or any other period of your life before you started university. However, that doesn't mean that every friendship or relationship will stand the test of time—and nor does it mean that they should. People can drift apart for a variety of reasons, especially when they start moving to different geographical areas or having to focus on other things, and only you can decide which ones are worth keeping up with. Don't force anything, but accept the changes that do occur and stay open to meeting new people in this new phase of life.
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Also read about: 7 Things That Don't Matter After High School
Who You Were in School Doesn't Matter as Much as You Think
Whether you were a star athlete, president of your sorority or fraternity or someone who hardly ever left the library, people might not care about this as much as you think once you leave your alma mater behind. Whoever you were in college doesn't define you (good or bad), so just learn how to highlight the good parts and bring those with you for a bright future.
It's Okay If You Don't Have Everything Figured Out Yet
If some of your friends graduated with jobs lined up already while you're still unemployed and unsure of your next move, it's okay. Your life track won't look the same as someone else's, and that's normal. As long as you work hard and go after what you want (whether that's grad school, a gap year spent volunteering abroad or jumping into your career), it'll all work out in the end.
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Being an Adult Is Expensive
Even if you were covering all your own costs in college, it still isn't the same as being a full-blown "adult." From paying a deposit for an apartment if you continue to live away from home to buying actual groceries now that you no longer have access to a dining hall at all hours of the day, expenses add up quicker than you may realize. Setting yourself a realistic budget and keeping a solid savings can help you avoid ending up in a bad post-graduate financial situation.
You're Not Done Learning About Yourself
It's safe to say that you learned a lot about yourself during college, but trust us when we say that joining the "real world" post-college will have you learning even more. What you learn will impact the way you look at your surroundings, navigate your relationships and decide what's most worth spending your valuable time and energy on (not to mention your money, which you're already going to be thinking a lot more about after graduating). You'll learn that you're not as mature as you think yet, but you'll also learn that you have everything you need to succeed. Just remember to ask for help when you need it, as no one needs to go through the growing pains of adulthood alone.
Also read about: 4 Signs Your High School Relationship Won't Last Through College
Life May Take Some Unexpected Turns
Finally, the one item on this list to prepare you for life after college that you can't actually prepare for: all the unexpected turns that are likely to take place. We're all at least somewhat familiar with unexpected or unprecedented things after everything that 2020 threw our way, but don't expect life to calm down at all after you finish school. Maybe you'll decide to pursue a master's degree that has you moving abroad, or maybe you'll struggle to get a job after school and have to move home for a bit. Whatever twists and turns come your way, just lean into it and find the positive in everything. After all, you're a college graduate now, and that's something to be celebrated all on its own.
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All in all, life after college may look a lot different than you imagine—and that is more than okay. If you need more advice on all things college, we have you covered. Start off by clicking HERE for our list of stereotypes about college that aren't always true.