Life After Graduation: 5 Impediments That Almost Every Fresh Graduate Faces
Graduating symbolizes a leap into ‘adult’ life, which is a huge transition,” said Juli Fraga, a psychologist based in San Francisco.
Journey of graduation stretches from packing heavy suitcases for hostel to throwing black cap up in the air which symbolizes releasing pressure that we have been sustaining for four years. This roller coaster ride includes adjusting to alien environment, meeting deadlines, cramming for exams, making new friends and hanging out with them, befriending GOOGLE in whole new way, having often arguments and misunderstandings with roommates, pulling all-nighters, and so on.
In all this bustling routine, we often forget to think about what our life will be like after Graduation, neither are we counselled or guided for path to follow after it. We have always heard saying life after graduation is going to be easy. It will open our path to handsome-salaried job, luxurious house and car, and handsome partner. What we never hear is that life after graduation sucks in many ways.
Here are five examples that proves this point:
1. Getting a Dream Job
When you graduate, it is not only you who got that degree. There are number of candidates who are coming out of colleges with same knowledge which makes job market extremely competitive and seemingly disappointing. One has to stand out among thousand candidates for single position. Thus it complicates situation sometimes to get a dream job immediate after graduation.
At times, you have to start with the job that was never on your priority list, but you go with it because of fear of not getting another job if lost this opportunity. All you need is determination and flexibility to reach towards your goal.
2. Unending Questions of People Regarding Current Status
All graduates have to go through this phase in one way or other. They are faced with many questions, such as, “What’s your next plan?”, “Are you looking for job?”, “Will you apply for Masters?” I wonder why they (relatives, friends, neighbors) start caring so much about us suddenly after graduation while they were non-existent during our college days.
3. Post-Graduation Depression
We enter into the world of being a student at the time when we have no full knowledge of the world and by the time we graduate, we have spent majority of our lives as a student. Dr. Matt Glowiak, clinical mental health counseling faculty at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), said that higher education students have attended school for close to 20 years and it has become a major part of their identity.
“When people face an obstacle that threatens their identity, mental health may become compromised,” said Glowiak. He said questions such as, “Who am I?” “What will I do next?” “Will I be successful at seeking, attaining, and maintaining employment in my field?” and others may arise among recent graduates.”
Rejection after rejection from jobs, seeing your friends getting jobs and continuous guilt of not being able to earn to pay your bills and societal pressure easily leads to depression.
4. Hang out Plans with Friends
College makes it easier to see friends frequently. But once you are out of this phase, everybody moves to different place or even different part of globe due to their jobs and businesses. In this case, meeting with friends require planning and effort.
5. Vacation
When you are buried in books throughout the year, you always wait for that summer break to come and get rid of assignments, projects, quizzes, and exams. It is time of the year when you left all your worries behind. But once you enter post-graduation life, no more every-year vacations.
There is no doubt in it life after graduation brings many lessons and challenges with it and no graduate is exempted from experiencing it. But where it gives you hard time it also prepares you for adult world, which is the real world. Everyone has to travel this journey in their own way. This is a great transition in one’s life where one has to see and live life with new aspect.
