The class of 2023 started their studies during unfathomable times but they have pulled it all off to graduate this year!
It is not easy to start your degree during a pandemic… there has to be some kind of reward for that right?
Well, there isn’t, but here is some advice from graduates who graduated in the past 4 years on how to deal with life after the big day!
A lot of these graduates have expressed how they wished they looked after their mental health (especially during lockdown days), and advise current students that it should be prioritised as the workload can be overwhelming and can also lead you to lose yourself and ultimately will cause you to burnout.
So let’s get to it!
Find A Good Therapist
Seeing a therapist after graduation has helped many graduates navigate their life in the real world.
Many struggled to see a life outside of campus as being a student is all they have known.
In a way, therapy can help you find yourself again and guide you to achieve the goals you had before choosing your course.
It is easy to get lost in your studies so therapy can genuinely help you remember what you are passionate about.
It is important to recognise that graduation is not only a celebration but also a loss, because you are moving away from a routine and life that you use to have.
It is completely normal to feel lost and feel some complicated feelings that you cannot fully comprehend.
Finding the right therapist for you can truly help you rediscover yourself and put you back on the path you wish to be on.
Talk With Your Parents
Many graduates have disclosed that their family kept their emotions to themselves and often pretended that everything was fine.
However, these graduates explained that breaking down those walls can really help you feel less overwhelmed about the life ahead of you.
Your parents might not have had similar experiences to you but they can be a great form of support when you need it!
Expressing your emotions and your feelings to your parents can bring you closer to them and in a way, make you feel like you have someone to talk to and rely on when it feels like everything is falling apart.
Make New Friends
Sometimes you and the friends you had during your studies might end up drifting apart slightly, not because there is bad blood, but because everyone has their own path.
Making new friends can feel hard especially when you’re trying to hold on to your besties.
In reality this can be difficult since you’re no longer meeting them almost everyday.
Things will come in the way and you’ll start feeling like you’re all alone in this big world.
That doesn’t have to be the case!
When ‘real life’ starts, graduates explained how approaching new people and making some new friends helped them feel less alone and less lost.
They don’t have to replace your OG friends, but it can really change your perceptive on life.
Remember, your friend circle doesn’t need to be a big one, and ultimately all you really need is yourself!
Start Volunteering
Many graduates explained that even though they graduated and have somewhat got their life together, they still felt a void.
Many expressed how now that their studies are over, it feels like there is no purpose anymore.
That is why finding a place to volunteer at will help you find a new purpose for the greater good.
Doesn’t have to be anything major, but it will also help ground you and change your perceptive of the new world you’re living in.
Go Outside!!!
Many graduates have said that they struggled with their mental health post-graduation and with all the newfound *extra* time, they ended up sleeping and staying in their room most days.
This is obviously not healthy.
Now you actually DO have time to go for a long walk in nature, or even just going out to shop for groceries.
Basically going outside will make you feel better as you will get a chance to socialise, look after your mental and physical health and get some errands done.
Completely Change Your Plans
Okay, this isn’t really a MUST DO and more like a reminder to be open for any other opportunities.
When you pick your course, you most likely already know what you want to do.
However, the real life doesn’t work like that sometimes.
You might find yourself stuck and unsure, wondering if all that hard work and studying was worthless.
Graduates explained how they often found themselves in a similar situation but they got out of it by opening up to other opportunities.
Life isn’t a checklist and what is right for you isn’t always what you want.
So take it step by step and learn to listen to your intuition.
Follow the path that makes most sense for you.
Have A Hobby
Your studies often get in the way of your hobbies.
You might find yourself forgetting what having a hobby even feels like.
Now that you’ve graduated, you have more time to take up a hobby or even 2.
This will help you reconnect with yourself and find some peace.
You also get the chance to develop skills that serve you and make you proud of yourself!
Will you be taking on this advice ? Let us know
