The Post-College Quiet

What happens when you go from a life that is nonstop with stress and deadlines to a life that is slow paced and quite frankly, boring? Now that all of the excitement of graduating college has passed and life has returned to its normal level of excitement (or un-excitement), it is slowly beginning to sink in that this is life when you’re not in college, when you’re in the ‘real world’.

When there are no plans and everyone is busy with their own lives and you’re away from your college friends, you suddenly find yourself asking, “Is this it? Is this what life after college is really going to be like?”

If you’re someone who has plans to go to grad school in the fall, then don’t fret. Your boredom is only temporary. But if you’re someone like me who chose to hold off on grad school for a while and enter the work force, then you might feel a little discouraged by the increasingly sparse job market for recent grads.

The several weeks after college are similar to the five stages of grief.

First, there’s denial. I literally could not believe I graduated college. It seemed a long time coming and it shocked me that this was finally it.

Second and third are anger and bargaining as the humdrum of daily routines began to set in. I would have given a kidney to be working on a project for a class instead of being so bored.I read, did some job hunting, went out with friends and nothing seemed to fill the void where my daily routines often took me from six in the morning until two in the morning the following day.

The fourth stage of grief (and graduating college apparently) is depression. For a few days, I was just sad. I realized that it really was the end to a huge part of my life. And the final stage is acceptance. Acceptance of the loss of my college self and the welcoming the new person who will come into the ‘real world’ ready to take on a career.

Graduating college is a in a lot of ways like losing someone you love. College often times makes you the person you might be for the rest of your life. It has a huge impact on the way you think because most students are entering their twenties by the time they finish college.

But it doesn’t have to be all boring. The few months after college should be reserved for some fun, unless you’re lucky and already have a job lined up for after graduation. In the mean time, print out the coupon below for some coffee while you look for that golden opportunity job and check out The Campus Clipper for other great student discounts.

Janet Reyes, College of Saint Elizabeth 2012

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