The Struggles of Post-Grad Life

By Catherine Santino 

After graduating from college last year, I went through a particularly difficult period. I was living at home, unsure of what it was I wanted to do, and generally confused about life. I felt like people saw me as unmotivated because I was working a million part-time jobs and didn’t seem to have any real direction. I felt this immense pressure to have it all figured out, since so many of my friends had full time jobs and after all, that’s what college is supposed to be preparing you for.

But college doesn’t prepare you for the messiness and confusion that usually ensues after you graduate. There’s so much expectation to start a career and know exactly what you want. But what I realized after a long and difficult year is that it’s okay to not have a plan. That it’s more important to know what you’re interested in and what you’re good at than to have one specific career goal in mind. It’s also important to put yourself out there. Explore your interests, hone your skills, and be open to any and all opportunities to grow.

How to Handle the Struggles of Post Grad Life... 

My advice to others who may be struggling with similar issues would be that it’s perfectly fine to take your time in figuring everything out. It’s not meant to be a race. 

I read a quote recently that went like this: "It’s messing people up, this social pressure to ‘find your passion’ and ‘know what it is you want to do’. It’s perfectly fine to just live your moments fully and marvel as many small and large passions, many small and large purposes, enter and leave your life. For many people there is no realization, no bliss to follow, no discovery of your life’s purpose. This isn’t sad, it’s just the way things are. Stop trying to find the forest and just enjoy the trees." - Sally Coulter

This really resonated with me. I feel like the reason a lot of people feel unfulfilled or unhappy with their lives is because there is so much expectation in finding this one thing you are supposed to be doing. But I think that we should focus more on simply doing our best. Find what it is that makes you happy and never stop taking-in opportunities to learn and grow. I think that this is the surest way to happiness, more so than a career or a salary.