As of Valentine's Day, I have officially been out of college for two months. In the span of time from my graduation on December 14, 2016, to the present day of February 26, 2017, I have applied for 27 jobs. I have gotten calls from nine of them, rejection emails from three, and ultimately have just not heard anything at all from the rest of them. And that's okay. This article is just to give those who are about to graduate or looking to graduate soon a glimpse into what post-grad life could be like.

For one thing, it will not feel real for a while. It still doesn't, in some regards. The stress of writing paper after paper and having due dates will still reside with you for a few weeks. You'll still expect to get your next class schedule on Blackboard (or whatever information service your university may use), and still ask yourself if you need any more credits or out-of-class event credits (called FALS at Lander University, my alma-mater). Having walked across the stage and been given your diploma (not the real one, that comes in the mail) will feel like it hasn't actually happened, or it was to someone else, not you. You failed those two classes. How the hell could you have graduated?! But you did. It really happened.

For some of you, establishing an actual sleep schedule will be essential if you are to beat the "I'll sleep when this caffeine binge wears off" mode that you have put yourself in all throughout college. This is also true if you've had to live with roommates. I still find myself awake at 1, 2, 3, even 4 a.m. with full knowledge that I NEED sleep, but it still won't arrive. I keep expecting to hear or see my former roommate turn off his tv, announce the realization that dawn is close, feel the shock of realization that comes with staying up to the wee hours, and then pass out to try and catch as much rest as we can before you start the cycle again. This is not recommended if you're moving back in with your parents for a bit after college. But here I am, still awake long past the necessary hours. So get a schedule started. You'll thank me later.

For a lot of us, you will find out you don't really know what to do with almost unlimited free time. There was always assignments or events or social obligations that came up. That paper was due in 24 hours and you'd forgotten about it until just then, or you ABSOLUTELY had to go to Waffle House at 2 a.m. because you were tired of cafeteria food and you had $10 left. Well, all that goes out the window after graduation. You essentially have UNLIMITED FREE TIME, which is not as appealing as it sounds. It's great if you're into binge-watching or have hobbies you've been throwing aside, but in terms of a daily thing, it's not that fun. My days currently consist of some socializing, sleeping later than I always intend, job searching, and checking in with places that I've applied to. As sporadic as college may seem sometimes, it still falls within a structured format. Once you leave that, YOU have to establish your own format. There's no more classes, no more papers, just time and potential. Do with it what you will.

Also, just like in high school, you lose contact with some people once you graduate. It's not that they're angry at you or anything like that, it's just that they're still in the college world, a world that you have since moved on from. Now, your friends will still reach out to you, thanks to the wonders of texting and social media apps like Facebook and Snapchat, but you'll feel like you've lost some people, and that's ok. It happens. Visit when you can, shoot the first test message, and you'll be fine.

Last but not least, don't be upset if you can't find a job right out of college. There's nothing wrong with taking a bit of personal time, but once you start sending out those resumes and applications, there's still a large number of people and business that will either take a while to respond with a yes or no or just not send any kind of feedback at all. Don't let this send you into a sadness spiral. Finding a job takes time. If you think you'll want one right out of college, start applying as soon as you can before you graduate. If you're comfortable with waiting, take the time to make those gym visits you never got around to, try losing some of the college weight, just keep yourself active. The jobs will happen. Just enjoy yourself. You've graduated. Breathe, and just keep your head up.