Friday, June 28, 2013

Thoughts on Being a Post-Grad Twenty-Something

ahh, simpler times

I'm going through an interesting transition period in my life. I'm not sure what to call it exactly; Quarter-Life Crisis is a bit dramatic, I'm Not a Student, Not Yet an Adult is very B. Spears. Hmm, the post-Grad Funk? Oh well, call it what you will, the long and the short of it is that being in your post-grad, early twenties is a very strange place to be.

Why, you ask? Because it feels like from the time you were 5 years-old (or even before), you've been able to identify yourself by where you've gone to school. That simple fact has determined what activities you did and who your friends were. Every part of your day, week, and year could be related back to the rhythm of the school year - hanging out after school, going with friends on Spring break, everything was just neat little increments of time that you had to fit together. From one year to the next, the steps were always obvious - 9th grade followed 8th; school, summer, repeat; it all made sense. Then graduation comes, you leave school, and everything you've grown accustomed to is gone. Suddenly the next step isn't so obvious, and your life could go any number of ways. And you know what, it's a little bit scary!


You see, now when you talk to people new and old, they ask what you do. But for those of us who took the first job that came along, being defined by that seems less than ideal. Unless you're one of the very few people who get their dream job right out of school (lucky bastards), it can feel like you're just treading water, waiting for real life to start. The problem is, you don't know what that even means anymore. As a senior people would always say, "So, are you ready for the real world?" But now that I'm here, I'm wondering Is this it? Am I here in the real world now? And what the heck does that even mean??

I wish I could end this post with some awesome advice for everyone out there in the same spot as me, but the point is that I have no idea what I'm doing either! I guess one thing I know I have going for me is a strong support system. It's good to know that if I make mistakes, change my mind, or just have no idea what I want to be when I grow up, I still have amazing people surrounding me and rooting for me.

So to all the twenty-something's out there in a similar spot, I feel for ya. And to anyone who's been-there, done-that, and came out on the other side, any and all advice is certainly welcome :)


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7 comments:

  1. I can still call myself a twenty-something (whew), and I feel like our generation's "problem" is having too many expectations, and labels. We've been groomed for college and careers and the "real world", but that's not necessarily the norm anymore, and that's okay! My advice; don't try to define your life by a career, don't try to compare your life to your peers, but do set goals for yourself to continue to grow. And that said, I'm still working on taking my own advice :)

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  2. i totally agree! i'm on the verge of graduation and it's already scary haha. it's so crazy how many directions life could go, and i think it definitely just gets overwhelming, when society puts so much pressure on us to find that perfect job and make a certain amount of money/lead a certain lifestyle. the best we can do is be ourselves and keep allowing ourselves to be refreshed and inspired every day :) happy weekend!

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    1. I love what you said about staying inspired to refresh ourselves. I think that's so important! I know that before we started working on our Etsy shop, I would feel so dull and drained everyday at work. Now, whenever I start feeling like that I chat with Jackie about the shop and brainstorm ideas and makes me feel so much more fulfilled!

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  3. As a person in their late twenties(something), I feel that college graduation is overwhelming because it is the beginning of many incredible freedoms. Anything is possible and you're finally in control of your time and your routine. You have greater accountability for your actions. But that's okay. There's such pleasure to be had in paving your own path and I feel that most of us forget that we don't have to settle on doing just one thing in our lifetime. We could be everything we want to, on its own time.

    I have a feeling you'll be just fine. :)

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    1. Thanks so much for your comment! I agree, there's no need to settle on one thing and we have the ability to constantly reinvent ourselves :)

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  4. Being a junior in college, I've been feeling a little lost myself. With graduation not far off in the horizon the prospect of getting a job and living in the 'real world' is indeed scary. I like how you said the next step isn't so obvious...because it sure isn't. Do I go to grad school? Do I take the first job that comes my way? How do I utilize myself most effectively and most importantly, HOW DO I NOT GET STUCK BEING MISERABLE?

    Holy goodness, I needed this post! Thank you so much.

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    1. Haha I know exactly how you feel! There are too many questions and even more possible answers!! But I promise as long as you have good friends, and family around you won't be miserable :)

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