You’ve done it! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, you haven’t slept in weeks and you could care less because you just walked out of your last undergrad final. EVER. You feel like you could throw up or pass out all at once and the world has never been more beautiful than it is standing outside on this afternoon in May.
All the classes, the assignments, the all-nighters, the parties, the first dates, the heartbreaks, the hangovers, the part time jobs, and all the moments in between that make up those crazy 4-6 years we call undergrad are finished. You have completed the biggest academic achievement of your life thus far and soon you will cross that stage and enter into what we officially call “adulthood”. Life is coming at you a million miles an hour, and it seems as though these last 6 months have been a long time coming.
First of all, congrats! You are an almost real life adult! Secondly, don’t be afraid, I promise there are wild and wonderful things ahead for you. We here at Entity are the biggest fans of you, woman who will do. We celebrate with you, we are proud of you, we welcome you to the mess and the magic of your 20’s! We have walked this road before you. The first couple years of post-grad life can be difficult to maneuver, so in an effort to light the way before you, here are 5 things you should know will happen in the “what comes next” part of this crazy journey.
In what seems like a millisecond your entire world is going to change. Life-as you-know-it is going to look completely different. Take a deep breath, this is a good thing, I promise. Life is never going to be as predictable or orderly as it did before and you are going to get more curve balls than you thought, but this is one of the best parts about post-grad life. You aren’t supposed to have it figured out just yet. Learn to love the surprises, the unknown, the unexpected and you will acclimate to this new season much easier. Learn the art of holding tight to letting go and you will find your way soon enough.
You have spent the last four years fighting off your insecurities and growing into the confident and powerful woman you are and it is going to feel like all that personal growth went out the window your first dream job rejection or embarrassing job failure. Do not let this stop you. Keep your head up, and don’t spend too much time looking at what you’re friends have or don’t have. Don’t feed your insecurities the successes of others. You are creating the life you love, on your schedule, so don’t get too caught up in the trap of comparison.
This is the time to make mistakes. To make big changes, to take chances, to do what is necessary and what feels right. Don’t be afraid to change and grow. In 6 months you will not be the same girl who walked across that stage, and that is good, good news! Don’t be afraid of giving yourself the room to grow and fail and take chances and un-learn some of what you thought you knew about the world. You are still so young, enjoy that you cannot know everything and that sometimes we have to let go of some of what we thought we “non-negotiable” things in life were, to move forward.
Community in this time is going to change meaning quite a bit. Hold on tightly to your tribe, but also remember that you and you alone are the captain of this ship. Learn how to be your own best advocate and number 1 fan. Remember to stay humble, but also, know your worth and always show up for yourself. There are wonderful and wild things for you here in the world, don’t miss out on them because you couldn’t see how worthy of those things you are. Don’t forget all the amazing things you’ve learned that have brought you here, and don’t be afraid to see the good in yourself first and foremost.
From the moment you wake up in the morning, every single second of every single day will be under your control. After 18 years of going to school everyday and going through the motions you will be free to make use of your time however you see fit. No more homework, no more exams; when you get home after work you get to choose what to do. There is nothing more exhilarating and terrifying about this than those first couple weeks as a post-grad. It is wonderful and wildly overwhelming all at once. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Budget your money, watch the show, see your girlfriends, go on the date, take the job, buy the shoes, eat the really good ice cream, call your mom, go to the beach, kiss the stranger. Every decision is now yours and though that can be terrifying, don’t let it hold you back. Yes you will be making decisions on steroids and your mom can’t tell you what to do or what is right for you, so don’t forget that these choices are such a gift, that the life you have is such a gift, and that you will choose wrongly.Give out forgiveness graciously and be gentle with yourself. The land of 20-something adulthood is no easy terrain, go bravely and boldly, with enough grace to stumble through along the way.
