Preparing for the “real” world
“Welcome to the real world. It sucks. You’re gonna love it.”
As I write this blog post, I am nearing the end of my college career. I am going to be putting on my cap and gown, walking across the stage, and getting my diploma. I still can’t wrap my head around that soon I will be leaving the place I have called home for the past four years. Let alone I will be done with school and homework for the first time since I started kindergarten. While the no homework and exams part of it all is very exciting, the thought of moving on and entering the “real world” is quite scary. My mind begins to race with questions like “what will I do?” “Will I see my friends again?” “Am I ready?” I wanted to make this post not only for those who are reading it, but for myself. While this is a scary transition, it will be okay. Who knows, maybe it will be even better.
Imposter Syndrome
My first thought when people ask me how it feels to be graduating is am I ready? Imposter syndrome is a common phenomenon in college graduates, people in academia, and even those in the workplace already. Arizona State University wrote an article called Best practice: Developing resilience and overcoming imposter syndrome. The article defines imposter syndrome as, “a psychological pattern of self-doubt amongst high-achieving individuals who fail to internalize their accomplishments, experience persistent and unmerited self-doubt, and fear being recognized as an imposter or fraud.” They also claim that, “nearly 70% academic professionals will experience imposter syndrome at some point in their career.” Dealing with imposter syndrome is common at this stage in life as it is a huge transition and change. This can be overwhelming and make you question how worthy you are. Imposter syndrome can make you undermine your goals and the progress you’ve made and negatively impact your mental health. To deal with this phenomenon, Arizona State University gave some tips to build resilience,
“Talk about it and find the support you need to thrive.
Recognize your expertise.
Acknowledge your strengths.
Do 'well enough.'
Change your internal narrative and find assets in challenges.
Practice mindfulness.”
Comparing yourself to others
A commonly asked question for a college graduate is “what now?” That is a fair question, but in reality many college grads do not know exactly what their plan is or what the next step is and that’s okay. Lara Milbauer’s article, Post-Grad Survival Guide: 5 Tips to Succeed in the Real World, tells the readers to “move at your own pace.” You don’t need to be exactly at the same stage your friends are at. You need to do what’s right for you and take your time growing into the new you.
Handshake also has an article on this subject called, Navigating Life After College: Tips From a 25-Year-Old. A tip they give is to get off social media for a while. You shouldn’t feel pressured by what you see on your friends’ feeds. People posting highlights from what’s going on in their lives may make you feel discouraged in your new phase of life.
“Somebody said how they recently had the realization that in the first season of Friends, the characters are only 24 years old or they’re supposed to be 24 years old. And it’s like… how validating is that? Because then they go on for like 10 years and it’s just, you know… the end of the 10 years. When they’re in their 30’s that… They start getting married. They start, you know, buying a house. Having kids like.. That really puts it into perspective because you might feel like… “Oh yeah, I’m still living with my parents or I’m still living with roommates and I’m 26 years old.” But it’s like… girl that's fine. You’re only in season two or season three of Friends!”
- Our Golden 20s podcast
Just because you might not have everything figured out right now doesn’t mean you never will.
This isn’t the end
Over the past four years, I have gotten used to living with my friends and being able to hang out with them whenever I wanted to. There was always something going on. It is normal for recent graduates to feel a shift in their social circle. People think that their time for fun is over, but that is not true. You will still be friends with the people you met in college, you will make new friends, and you can spend time with your loved ones. The first tip in Lara Milbauer’s article, Post-Grad Survival Guide: 5 Tips to Succeed in the Real World, is to meet new people. There will be social gatherings you can attend or networking events going on. Go to them and try to branch out! For the friendships you want to continue after college, make the time and effort to still see each other and keep in touch. Just because college is over, doesn’t mean your friendship is.
Make the right moves for you
Handshake’s article, Navigating Life After College: Tips From a 25-Year-Old, includes tips for college graduates like,
Explore
Define what success means for you
Be intentional
These are key parts in finding out what works for you. This is probably the first time you have total freedom over what you are going to do everyday. Find and explore what you like, dislike, new places, new people, etc. Don’t hop into the first thing because it is what you are “supposed to do.” Discover what you want your next step to be. Define what success is to you. Know what you value and make actions that are geared towards that. Make intentional choices that will put you in the right direction towards your goals.
Hi, I’m Lauren and welcome to my website! This is where I share my graphic design work and blog posts!
