You made it. No more textbooks, research papers, test anxiety…. You’ve completed your journey and it’s incredible. Please make sure to give yourself a ton of gratitude for everything you just challenged yourself to do. Now that you’ve graduated, you can do anything! But really, after graduation, what’s next?
Relax and Take Care of Yourself
You might find this counterproductive after all the tight deadlines and tough regiment of being in school. But in fact, it is so crucial right now to really relax and rest your mind, body and soul. You’ve put your body through a lot and let’s not even mention your mind! Of course, I like to recommend physical activity that is calming, like yoga, or if you need more intensity, you can channel the meditative qualities from running. For your mind, try even just 5 minutes of meditation or see a counselor to get out of your own head for a bit and release any tension or thoughts.
Counseling can also help with motivation, so now that you’ve finished one goal and are on to the next one, talking to a neutral party can really help you plan as well as discard any “static” in your head.
Connect with Others
After taking care of yourself, this one is possibly the most important. Set meetings with your mentors. Get together with your classmates. Go to networking events. Hey, even reach out blindly to someone you professionally admire and try to get coffee together. You’ll find in life that while school and education are extremely important, the people you know are what really get you where you want to be (now that you have the proper background). This is not the time to be shy. Time and time again, students do incredibly well in school, then “fail” in life. I believe that isolating yourself and relying on your gained knowledge only is what contributes to this. Try to think outside the lines and get out there grad! There are people you need to meet and relationships that need cultivating. Plus, you’ll get exposure to potential opportunities that could potentially change your life!
Give Back
So, one of the realities of the world is that in many cases, a student needs experience before they can partake in a particular career. If you’re just starting out, you already know how difficult this conundrum can be! My solution? Volunteer! I love to volunteer and just recently did a few events to give back that truly warmed my soul.
It is a great way to not only spend your time in an activity or cause that you’re interested in, but also a way to get that precious experience that a potential employer may ask for. How should you go about it? Locate a few nonprofits that seem to be active online (are they posting on Facebook? Do they blog regularly?). The reason I say this is that some nonprofits are literally one or three people working from their homes. While that may suit you, it might be better to go with an organization that is thriving so that you are able to provide a certain skill and don’t end up as more of an administrative assistant, unless that is what your goal is. Next, find out who the Executive Director is and reach out personally, offering your services alongside examples of your projects. Nonprofits will likely jump at the opportunity to work with you. They might even offer you a paid position! Regardless, it’s a great way to continue your education, get experience and give back to a worthy cause.
Conclusion
Hey, you did it. You really did. Remember the first day of school? Now look where you’ve come! I’m so excited for the next part of your journey. Need extra guidance and support? Come in and see me. My door is always open and I love meeting with people who are at this stage in their lives. The transition can be a little scary, but with the right people around you to be there for you, it can be so much smoother. So, remember, just take care of yourself and believe in yourself and you’ll see the magic around you start to happen. Congratulations grad!!