20 Hidden Truths About Life After College

About to graduate and feeling nervous about navigating life after college? These 15 honest truths about post-college life can help you feel more prepared to tackle what’s to come post-grad.

If you’re reading this, I believe congratulations are in order. You have likely either graduated college or are about to graduate college. Woohoo! Congrats!

With this phase of life comes a lot of excitement and joy, but there is also a lot of uncertainty.

Now what? Where do I go from here? And, most of all…

What is life after college?

Life after college is deeply complex and confusing. There is not a one-size-fits-all answer for this. As much as I wish I could answer that in one swift answer, I cannot.

Instead, life after college is filled with tremendous, exhilarating, and joyful highs as well as some confusing, complicated, and overwhelming lows. Life after college, like most things, is neither all good nor all bad.

Post-college life is also incredibly individual. Everyone is on their own highly personal journey through post-grad life. Do you enter the workforce? Pursue post-grad schooling? Start a family? These are all questions that you must answer for yourself.

That said, there are a few truths about life after college that feel, more or less, universal. These seem to be the things that most of us experience as we take the first few steps into our life after graduating.

Good or bad, you can rest assured knowing that these 20 truths about post-college life are not unique to you. You are not alone in the confusing first steps out of school.

Hopefully, this post can help bring you comfort in community and answer some of your burning questions about life after college graduation.

20 Things No One Tells You About Life After College

Life after college is filled with tons of curveballs – both negative and positive. To help you navigate these post-college truths, they’re broken down into “happy” and “hard” truths.

We’ll get the tougher ones out of the way first, so we can rejoice in the post-grad glory at the end!

10 Hard Truths About Life After College

1. Making Friends is a Lot Harder

Making friends as an adult is a lot tougher than making friends in college. When in college, there is a clear platform for friendship-making. Whether it be classes, parties, dorms, or just co-existing on campus, there seem to be endless options for places to make friends.

After college, it’s a bit tougher. Or, at least, you have to be way more intentional about making friends. Making friends in adulthood requires you to put yourself out there and go out of your way to be in the position to meet people.

This can be a tough reality to accept when we are so used to having the opportunities for friendship handed to us in our everyday lives. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t make friends. It just simply takes some more effort post-grad!

2. Finding a Job Can be HARD

Correction: finding a job you LIKE is hard.

If you are one of the few people that walked out of college and into a job you love, you are so lucky! Congrats!

On the other hand, if you are struggling to find work or are working a job that you know you don’t enjoy, you’re not alone.

A lot of people in college have the perception that, once they have their degree, they can walk into their dream job as soon as they flip their tassel. Unfortunately, that’s really rare.

A lot of the “dream jobs” require more than just a degree – work experience, references, etc. This can cause you to pump the breaks in your job hunt or lead you to work a less-than-fulfilling job. If you are struggling to land your dream job right out of college, you’re not alone.

That said, don’t get discouraged. Stay true to your dreams. Chances are, there is a reason you’re not working the “dream job” just yet… but when the time comes, think of how great it will feel!

3. Finances are Scary

There. I said it. I’m scared of finances.

Money talk often sounds like a whole other language to me. Taxes? FICA? Capital Gains? Insurance? 401k? STOCKS?… Come again?!

The world of adult finances is one of the toughest parts of life after college for many people. Luckily, there are tons of resources for planning your finances after college… but that still doesn’t make it easy.

If I can offer one piece of advice, it’s to seek professional help and try to avoid panicking. (Maybe it’s time to hit up that cute finance major that you met at a party that night 😉 )

You learn by doing. Very few people enter life after college knowing exactly what they’re doing. You’re not alone in this confusion and there are always people you can look to for help.

4. Your Friends Divide

Friendships after college are weird. There seems to be a really drastic difference in how people proceed with life after college. Naturally, this leads to dividing friendships.

Some friends may be getting married and having babies. Others are choosing to travel the world. Then, there’s the one friend that seems to have become a business executive overnight. And – Oh! Don’t forget Brad who is still partying like it’s Spring Break of sophomore year.

It’s so bizarre to watch friendships ebb and flow after college graduation. Try your best to not take any friendship divides personally. Everyone is just trying to figure out their own path – you included!

Prioritize yourself and the few deep, meaningful relationships that mean the most to you. That’s what matters the most through this confusing time.

5. Dating is ROUGH

Much like making friends, finding eligible bachelors/bachelorettes after college is even tougher. Of course, there are exceptions to this. Maybe you’ve been in a wonderful long-term relationship or you’re one of the lucky ones that found a great partner soon after college graduation. The rest of us aren’t so lucky.

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Dating app after dating app, swiping until your finger gets sore – and then switching hands. That’s what a lot of dating after college seems to be.

Don’t get discouraged. Keep your standards high. The right person will come when the timing is right. For now, focus on self-discovery, self-love, and how you can care for yourself in the meantime.

6. Post-Grad Depression Happens

Post-college depression is real. And so common.

When we are used to college life, transitioning into life after college can be difficult. Between the transition phase, new adulthood difficulties, and the shift in college relationships, depression is really common at this time.

If you feel the effects of post-grad depression, be gentle with yourself. Don’t be afraid to seek help. Online therapy can be a great option during this transition phase. Therapy from the comfort of your home is great. I have used TalkSpace and have nothing but great things to say.

7. You Need to Learn Work/Life Balance

After college, it’s easy to throw yourself into work. With a new job, new schedule, new responsibilities, etc., overworking yourself is super common. For many, we feel a need to prove ourselves in our new lifestyle. However, this can lead to major burnout and exhaustion.

There is a huge learning curve with developing work/life balance – but it is essential. Working to develop a work/life balance is a key part of entering this new phase of life after college. Work is exciting and it’s great to be dedicated, but “me time” is equally as important.

Self-care is productive. Plan some downtime and relaxing self-care into your everyday life, even if it’s just 5 minutes of self-care a day.

8. Adulthood Can Get Overwhelming

In addition to the finances we talked about earlier, adulting, in general, can be overwhelming. Running a home, working, socializing, maintaining relationships, practicing self-care… the list goes on and on. It’s a lot!

Cut yourself some slack. In college, you likely had some responsibilities. But now, as an adult, you may feel like there’s even more on your plate. Overwhelm is totally natural and expected during this time.

Give yourself grace and rest assured that you are doing things right. You’ve got this.

9. Imposter Syndrome Hits Hard

You’ve finally graduated college and are entering your career or next post-grad step. This should be exhilarating, right? This is what you’ve worked so hard for! Yet, when you look around, you feel comparison start to drag you down. You may feel underqualified, out of place, like a fraud, or simply that you don’t belong.

This is imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome after graduation is incredibly common, especially for minorites and women. As we enter into a world that is new to us, it’s tempting to feel like we don’t belong or deserve to be there. Rest assured, this is not true. In fact, experiencing imposter syndrome may be a sign that you care deeply about your work and work quality. (Which is a good thing!)

Try to not let imposter syndrome take hold of your mind. Know that you have worked hard to get here and you deserve to be where you are. You were not hired, chosen, or accepted by accident. You belong.

10. Your 20s are Lonely

Believe it or not, your 20s are most likely not going to closely resemble FRIENDS (as much as we wish it could!). To be honest, I think the media, TV, and movies really set us up for feelings of sadness when we first begin life after college.

For the majority of people, our early/mid-20s are nothing like the films and TV shows we’ve idolized for years. I personally think that it’s this standard that makes us feel even more lonely than we would otherwise.

Try to limit your unrealistic expectations. Obviously, TV and movies are fictional, but even the photos you see on your social media feed are fabricated, glamorized versions of reality.

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As difficult as it may be, try to remind yourself that there is nothing wrong with where you are, even if it looks a lot different than where you thought you would be. Cherish the healthy relationships you have and strive to make more if you desire. Find your people and, most importantly, find yourself – that is the key to not feeling the deep loneliness.

10 Happy Truths About Life After College

11. No One Cares About Your GPA

Ahhhh! Take a sigh of relief. That quiz that you flunked junior year… no biggie!

To be honest, getting good grades in college is great. Heck, I worked my booty off to get a 4.0 in college. You should be really proud of yourself if you achieved high marks in school. That’s a big accomplishment.

That said, grades are not everything. If you didn’t do as well as you would’ve liked (or if you’re comparing yourself to someone else), shrug it off. It is extremely rare that you will need to show your college grades in your life after college.

While there are most definitely some exceptions here (grad school, some jobs, etc.), most of the time, your GPA is just a number on your transcript. Don’t beat yourself up over it if it’s not perfect.

12. Your Major Might Not Matter

… at least as much as you think it does.

Wait, what?! You just busted your butt working towards a major for me to tell you it doesn’t matter?!

Wait, wait, wait… let me explain.

Having a major that you want to pursue a career in is excellent! All I’m saying is that your major is not everything.

For example, I got my degree in Media and Communication Studies. My job now is in Marketing. I don’t have a “marketing degree”, but I still have a marketing job.

Here’s what this means for you: in most cases (again, there are exceptions!), your major can be applied to a variety of jobs if you have the ability to sell it! The major itself is often not as important as how you apply it.

If you’re able to convince your potential employer that your degree taught you the skills needed for the job, that says a lot! Learn how to market yourself and your degree to a variety of career opportunities. This should feel liberating, knowing that you are not confined to one small box for jobs in your life after college.

(Again – this does not apply to some degrees/jobs. There definitely are times where you need a specific degree/area of study!)

13. Your Time is Yours

Some people may not agree with this, but I’ve found that life after college has allowed me way more control over my time.

Similarly to the jump from high school to college, college to life after college has felt liberating. Yes, I work full time. Yes, I have responsibilities and time constraints. But it feels like more of my life is in my hands and at my discretion.

Aside from certain scheduling arrangements, you can do what you please. The choice is all yours. It’s beautifully freeing.

14. You Get Paid for Your Work

College is a funny time… you literally pay to work.

Don’t get me wrong, I love college. But, you are paying to spend your time working. Now, in your life after college, you actually get paid for the work you do. Real money.

SCORE!

The first few post-grad paychecks I got felt amazing. I honestly am not spending that much more time working full time than I was being a student full time… but my bank account sure grows a lot faster.

This is a huge (and obvious) perk of the shift from college to career.

15. No More Unnecessary Reading

Or at least WAY LESS. (There may still be the occasional job training/reading.)

One of the worst parts of college was the endless reading. Ugh! Pages and pages, chapters and chapters of reading that I just did not care about.

Let me tell you, from my experience, there is way less of this in your life after college. I finally read for fun again! It’s incredible!

16. You Learn TONS

Dare I say… you may learn even more than you did when you were in college.

Life after college teaches you a lot – both life lessons and career-related skills. Working hands-on in a job has taught me way more than I learned in school. Similarly, navigating everyday life after college has taught me TONS (remember those finances we talked about earlier?).

Learning doesn’t stop when you graduate from college. You stay growing and evolving. That’s a pretty beautiful thing.

17. You Decide Your Path

Most of your life after college is up to you. That can either be really exciting or really intimidating – or both!

Looking at it from the positive side, you have a lot more say in how you fill your days. There aren’t major requirements, school events, and class times to consider. If you are stuck in a life that you hate, you (usually) have the ability to make a change.

Quit that job. Change apartment buildings. Leave that friendship. Never see that guy again. Do whatever you can to make yourself happy.

(That said, it is important to note that this freedom is a huge privilege. Some people don’t experience this liberation in their life after college. Whether it be for financial reasons or something else, there are a lot of situations that take away this choice. If this is you, know that I see you. I am sending love and hope for a life of liberation and happiness to you.)

18. You’re on a Journey with No Destination

When in college, it feels like there is one clear end goal: graduation.

Life after college feels more like an ongoing journey with no real destination. Try to view this as beautiful permission to never stop learning, growing, and doing.

As humans, we can always be better.

Read books, educate yourself, spread kindness, strive for more, set goals, learn how to be a better ally for the oppressed, become a better friend… the list goes on and on.

Entering life after college takes away the one, clear end goal and allows us instead to focus more on the day-to-day journey. Every morning, ask yourself: how can I make today better than yesterday?

Never stop growing.

19. You Can Reevaluate Your Goals

As you enter life after college, the big question hits… “What the HECK do I do now?”

Feeling a bit lost and confused is totally normal. It can be overwhelming. But, on the flip side, there’s a major positive to that. You get to completely reevaluate your goals after college.

Take some time post-grad (or leading up to graduation) to really survey where you are at in your life. Ask yourself some deep self-reflection questions, assess your mental health and happiness, make note of where you are and where you’d like to be.

Then, it’s time to set some goals!

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Setting large goals is great – and so much fun! It’s really exciting to look into the future and set big long-term goals. But, even more effective, is breaking those down into smaller, actionable goals that you can start today.

It can be really helpful to start with an overview of the 7 areas of life and then set goals for each area. From there, you can come up with healthy habits and routines that will help you get to these larger goals. This helps ensure a balanced and well-rounded goal list.

Don’t let this goal-setting overwhelm you. Setting goals after you graduate is honestly really exciting! You’ve worked hard to get here – the sky is the limit for what you’ll achieve next!

20. You Feel Super Accomplished

College? Oh yeah, you did that!

College grad, that is a HUGE deal. Graduating from college is a major accomplishment and it should be CELEBRATED. Allow yourself some time to rejoice and enjoy life after college before dumping pressure on yourself. You deserve a moment to celebrate yourself and your accomplishments.

You. Did. That.

What else do you wonder about life after college?

Are there any burning questions that you still want to know? Anything you feel worried or excited about? Let me know in the comments. I’m here to share my experience and offer any help I can.

Life after college is different – but really great. I hope you feel a little more excited and prepared after reading these post-college truths.

Above all, congratulations college grad! You did it! I am proud of you and rooting for you!

Here’s to continued success and happiness in your life after college!