For the past four years, you felt like you had found your new home and place in the world at your college. You took what seems like a countless number of classes over the past few years. Some classes you loved, some you hated. That being said, they all brought you to this moment: graduation. You’ve been dreaming of graduating and going off into the real world for a long time. But now that graduation is creeping closer and closer, you’re starting to feel a little uncertain about it all.
This is your home. This is where your friends are. You found yourself and have also managed to find a good rhythm and routine. Post-graduation will bring on a lot of changes and uncertainty. You’re not sure if you’re ready for it. If you’re feeling a little depressed after graduating from college, you’re not alone.
Let’s find out why you may be feeling this way.
Starting a Job in the Real World
Graduating from college means a lot of change. Instead of going to classes and trying to get good grades, your main goal is to attend your first real job out of college or spend your days applying and interviewing if you don’t already have a job lined up. Either way, it’s a big change from showing up to a classroom in sweatpants and taking notes.
Moving to a New City or Back Home
You may have felt similar uncertainty when you graduated from high school. Whether you stayed in your parent’s home, moved to your own place, or moved to a completely different city or state, you still had to adjust to a new school, location, classmates, and teachers. After graduating college, you may be making the same type of adjustment.
Depending on your plans post-graduation, you may be moving to a completely new city or state or may have plans to move back home to save some money. Either way, your world is being flipped upside down again. Just when you were getting used to the town you’ve been in for the past four years, you’re making another change.
Life Skills Needed for Adulting
When you’re in college, you may have balanced working a job while taking classes in order to pay for your wants and needs. When you graduate college, a lot more responsibilities, tasks, and daily to-dos get added to your list. You now may be responsible for grocery shopping, cooking meals for yourself, paying bills, budgeting, taking care of your apartment, and going to the office every day.
When you make a mistake, even a small one, it can be easy to be hard on yourself. You want to feel like you’re on the right life path and not falling behind. Try to give yourself a little grace. You can learn a lot from the mistakes you make. Plus, practice makes perfect, right?
Financial Stressors
Something that almost all graduates feel when graduation is approaching, or even post-graduation, is the financial stressors that come immediately after graduating. You may have debt from going to school. On top of that, you are responsible for bills like your rent, electrical, internet, and more. After graduation, you may still be on the search for a job. Or maybe you accepted a job you’re not thrilled about just to have one.
Next Steps
If you’re feeling a little depressed after graduation, you’re not alone. All of the changes that you’re experiencing after graduating can be hard to adapt to, especially all at once.
Although feeling stress and anxiety after graduating is normal, if the signs and symptoms don’t go away or worsen over time, it may be a good indicator that it’s time to seek additional support. Don’t delay in getting the help you need and deserve. Reach out to us today to set up a consultation.
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