College towns are often centers of culture and economic growth, making them ripe with opportunities for new graduates. Despite the perks of living in a college town, we can’t help but notice we aren’t exactly the segment these towns are tailored to. Here are eight things every post-grad living in a college town knows to be true!
1. Sometimes, you have to be the crotchety old neighbor
Thirsty Thursday used to be a weekly tradition. The first few times your downstairs neighbors cranked up the tunes to get ready to go out, it was sort of fun, even a little endearing. By the seventh or eighth time, though, your patience wears a bit thin. What are they screaming about, anyway? Don’t they know some people have work in the morning? You’re certain you were never that annoying and belligerent. Darn kids!
2. Everyone around you assumes your life operates on an academic calendar
When people ask you about your plans for break, you respond with “what break?” Almost everyone forgets the rules of the academic year don’t apply to you. And while you might miss the days of having a week or two off during winter and spring, at least you don’t have to deal with the overwhelming stress of finals weeks any longer.
3. You’re too young to be taken seriously and too old to hang out with college kids
Your coworkers know you as the youngest one in the office, and your student friends think of you as the honorary parental figure. You are in tweening years that leave you with one foot in the college world, and one in your new life. Don’t worry, someday, your college friends will be in your shoes, and one day, you’ll have someone new at work coming to you for advice.
4. A lot of your friends are still in school
Simply by proximity, many of the new people you meet and connect with are students. They may awkwardly ask you your major before realizing you no longer reside in the cultural bubble of college life. Although you may not be able to empathize with every aspect of their current life, you can still have a good time and enjoy your shared interests.
5. People assume you haven’t really moved on
Your friends and relatives may judge you for deciding to stay in the same town where you went to school, or for moving to a town dominated by its university. Just because you live in a college town doesn’t mean you haven’t moved on from the college lifestyle. And just because you graduated doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy some of the things you enjoyed prior to donning your cap and gown. Take your transition into the adult world in your own time, and don’t be afraid to explore all your town has to offer.
6. But in reality, your life is radically different than it used to be
Now that your default occupation is no longer “student”, you have time to develop in other ways: through your career, your hobbies, and relationships. Things you never had time for before, you now can dedicate yourself to. That being said, just because you are no longer a student doesn’t mean you don’t have plenty to keep you busy. Graduation is a point at which peoples’ lives diverge in massive ways. Your own journey is no exception. Even though you’re living in a similar place, your life couldn’t be more different than the life you had as a student.
7. You still look forward to summer, but for a different reason
At first, the city after move-out day looks like a ghost town. Where you used to have to weave through throngs of people to get anywhere, you can now walk to in half the time you did before. Your morning commute is less hectic, and in general, your town is a quieter, calmer place to be. Although the buzz of activity can be fun at times, it is a bit of relief when the student population dwindles are the end of the academic year.
8. Your city’s college spirit makes you feel connected to the younger you
So, you still enjoy the college bars, live music nights, and entertainers that flock to the campus area throughout the semester. Football games bring you to life and make you feel like a younger you. Maybe one day you’ll grow out of it, but for right now, the college town culture makes you feel empowered and connected to who you are.
