To a college senior, there are few things more terrifying than the thought of graduating and heading out into the real world. This stress is not just about finding a career path, graduate school, or service program. There are so many more levels to it all; once you find the job, you can finally figure out if you are going to have to find an apartment. Once you realize that you need an apartment, then comes the decision on who you are going to live with. Picking an apartment based on location, rent, access to public transportation, and other factors come next. The list can continue on and on of the unknowns that will be figured out in the next few months after graduation.
What does a 401K mean? How many days are sick days and how many are vacation days? How do I pay for electricity? For people who have lived on campus for all four years of their undergraduate experience, these can all be overwhelming experiences and questions. So how do you tackle all of this while trying to get yourself prepared to graduate and enjoy the time that is left?
The best thing to remember is to take a moment and breathe. Especially in those moments when it all becomes overwhelming, we must take the time to breathe. Whether that breathing involves spending time alone, reading a book, watching some Netflix, hanging out with friends, or going to the gym, it is important for each of us to take the time on our own to take a break from the process of becoming a real adult.
In these moments of stress, sometimes being proactive about the situation can also help. Research the cities that you are applying to jobs or graduate school in. What neighborhoods would be nice to live in? Ask around and see who may be looking for apartments, too. Apply to jobs. Spruce up your LinkedIn page. These are all good steps that can help to make you less stressed than you may be feeling in that moment.
And sometimes it is just being about in another moment. Forget about the stress if you can. Take that time, and instead of focusing on breathing or doing something for yourself, just be there. Spending that time with friends away from both sides of the coin (getting yourself away from the stress or working towards solving it) can take you to another moment that you might remember forever. With less than 50 days until most college seniors graduate and leave behind their time as an undergraduate, it is all about making the most of everything that's left without stressing yourself out about the future.
So maybe you can't figure out the real world today. That's all right. There's always tomorrow.
