Dear Graduate,

You’ve ended a major chapter in your life and now you’re entering a new one. First, CONGRATULATIONS! Second, I understand what you may feel!

Whether you’re starting a new job, beginning college, graduate school, joining the military, or traveling the world…life as you once knew it has changed.

Summer has come and it still hasn’t quite soaked in that YOU’RE REALLY AN ADULT or that you just graduated.

Sadly, it may not become a reality until August floats in and you realize that usually around this time you’re looking up a book list, purchasing school supplies and preparing to start a new semester with your friends.

SIKE!

I’ll never forget the day I graduated, May 6, 2017. Graduation day was filled with much excitement and anxiety.

My friends and family were around and I was ecstatic that despite the stress, tears, laughter, anger and other series of emotions that I’d encountered during the last four years —I was FINALLY done.

I walked across the stage after hearing my name that day…I received my degree and after 5 minutes of all smiles, I wondered, “What’s next?”

I knew I was planning to immediately attend graduate school in the fall, but I also knew that things were going to change drastically.

The people that I saw everyday for four years of my life, I would no longer see and the place I called “home” would no longer be home.

ODD.

After being in school all your life (LITERALLY) it feels strange to do anything else. The pressures of finding a job, living on your own, paying bills, etc. begin to sink in and you realize ADULTING SUCKS and POST-GRAD DEPRESSION IS REAL! 

I had the symptoms of feeling unmotivated, lonely, and exhausted. I didn’t want to do my homework, read any of the books, or go to class.

If I had it my way I would have lounged in bed all day-everyday and binge watched a new show every week.

THE DREAM!

Let’s not get it confused, I knew I wanted to continue my education and I decided to embark on the journey in order to study  a new field and SECURE THE BAG. But I was drained! I lacked the motivation and if my procrastination in undergrad was bad…CHILE it was 10x worse now. Social media and Netflix was my procrastination.

Not to mention, I was often lonely. Even when I was around people, I felt alone. I was in a new city and had to make new friends and if you’re anything like me…throw the whole idea away.

You’ve gotten used to the friends that know everything about you plus you’re slightly awkward and introverted. So you just want YOUR people – the people who know and love you for who you are!!

I get it. I can relate.

But I had to realize that I had been trained to transition and meet new people since elementary school. This was nothing new. I’ve known for a very long time that at some point I had to grow up and that nothing ever stayed the same. Challenging myself to get use to my new normal was useful in enhancing my intellectual and personal growth.

Now was the time to accept the challenge and embrace the new lessons and opportunities that I would face. It was time to use everything that I had learned in the last four years to advance my future.

In order to do so, I had to understand that I was playing myself with optimism and pride thinking that failing was NOT apart of the process. I had the “too young to have it all together but too old not to” syndrome and I was comfortable with the idea of being surrounded by familiarity and uncomfortable with the idea of the unknown.

Mistake!

I had to realize that I would fail in some areas but it was okay and it was okay to ask for help, to cry, and to begin again. I wasn’t expected to automatically have it all together. No one is!

I had to acknowledge that apart of growing up is accepting the growing pains and knowing that everything is not a walk in the park and the reward is coming out on top after going through the lesson.

I also had to appreciate my experiences and growth I’ve encountered the last four years and comprehend the new chapter I was beginning. After graduation is the work…the REAL WORK!

So if you’re struggling, I’m here to tell you that it’s okay but you must understand that you were made for this.

Your previous experiences were meant to shape you…not to keep you! You will fail but it does not mean that you are a failure. There is a huge difference! Continue on your path to success. 

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