10 Things To Do After Graduation

Graduating from college is like a rite of passage for most people because you’re moving from the education-based stage of your life to something else entirely.

And when you’re turning the page in this way, it can be hard to figure out what to do next. After all, there are a ton of options!

For this reason, many graduates struggle with a kind of decision paralysis directly after college. But this doesn’t have to be the case.

This is why today I’d like to share ten things that graduates can do after college. First, though, let’s answer a few commonly asked questions.

Is There Life After Graduation?

A question I’ve seen asked many times on the internet is, is there even a life after graduation?

And it’s a question that really resonates with a lot of graduates because they’re essentially leaving the only life they’ve ever known.

But although the transition might be hard, there is absolutely life and possibilities after graduation. In fact, it’s probable that most of your life will happen afterward.

What Should You Not Do After Graduation?

Similarly to people searching about what to do after graduation, many people also want to know what not to do after graduation so they can avoid mistakes.

And that’s a valid line of questioning as well, so let me quickly cover it.

The number one thing you shouldn’t do after graduation is panic! Adulting is hard, there’s no doubt about it, but it isn’t impossible.

So don’t let your worries get the best of you, everything will be okay!

What Should You Do After Graduation?

But now onto my ten suggestions for things you can, or could consider, doing after graduation.

1. Choose Where You’re Going To Live

One of the biggest decisions you’ll make once you graduate could be where to live; because recent graduates are often presented with a few main choices.

The common ones are to temporarily move back in with your parents, to find your own place, or to move into a place with some roommates.

But no matter what your options are or which one you choose, this is one unavoidable decision to make post-college.

2. Decide Whether Or Not To Take A Gap Year

Another major decision that you may or may not be presented with after graduation is the possibility of a gap year.

It’s becoming a more common occurrence for young adults to take a gap year between finishing their studies and officially starting their adulting journey.

In fact, many articles posted by universities online (including this one) mention taking a gap year as a suggestion for post-grads.

So if you think it’s something you’d be interested in, then you’ll need to make the choice of whether or not a gap year works for you.

3. Find a Job

And now for one of the scariest but most rewarding parts of post-graduate life, finding a job and starting your career.

This is what you’ve been training for, and you need to make sure that you take full advantage of the opportunities your education has presented you.

You’ll need to start looking for job opportunities, even if you have to pursue something like an internship first.

4. Start Your Own Business

Alternatively, if you want to get started in your career but the corporate ladder doesn’t sound like what you want to do, then you could start your own business.

Choosing to create your own business is a huge decision, but directly after you graduate might be the best time to test it out.

So if it’s something that you’ve been dreaming about doing, it may be the perfect time to take the leap.

5. Create A Schedule For Yourself

Transitioning out of college can be hard because you’re losing a lot of the structure that comes with an educational environment.

This can lead to adulting feeling very overwhelming in comparison because you all of the sudden have all this free time you may not have had before.

But you can combat some of these negative feelings by creating a schedule for yourself.

It doesn’t have to be overly strict, but find something that will work for you and give you some structure.

6. Make Time To Travel

Postgraduate life doesn’t have to be all work and no play though, you’ll also need to incorporate some fun into your life after college.

One way that many young adults like to do this is by traveling. And for those that take a gap year, traveling abroad might be their plan for the entire break!

But regardless of how long you can make your trip, traveling can be a fun way to absorb different cultures and create fun memories.

7. Find A Hobby

Along the same vein as traveling, finding a hobby could be a great way for you to switch it up and have some fun post-graduation.

You may have time and resources to do things that you couldn’t before, particularly after you get a job.

And a new hobby could give you something to focus on during transition that isn’t a huge source of stress.

8. Start Journaling

If you’ve never journaled before, then there’s never a better time to begin than right now!

And the best part is, that you can document your young adult life at the same time as you work through your feelings on the paper.

It’s a way to keep your memories safe, and your mental health thriving at the same time.

9. Stay Positive

Because the transition from college to the outside world can be so stressful, it’s easy to get in the wrong mindset.

But it’s important that you stay positive and hopeful. After all, this is the beginning of the rest of your life and career.

There are so many opportunities at your fingertips!

10. Continue To Learn

Just because your time in college may be over, doesn’t mean you have to stop learning. Quite the opposite actually.

You still have your whole life to learn new things and skills, so make sure you still keep up with studying things that interest you or are important to your career.

Buy books on certain subjects, find a career mentor, take a course, etc. But never stop learning.