For New Grads, Recent Grads & Pretty Much Anyone Who's Ever Graduated

It's that time of year when our feeds are flooded with photos of people achieving more than us. This is also known as graduation season. 

Nothing makes you feel old and unaccomplished like a 25 year old getting a PhD and managing to have amazing hair in one of those stupid hats.

Last week I attended the college graduation of one of my old students at my Alma Mater USF. Beside feeling like an ancient relic, I also felt a rush of happiness with a mix of not so happy memories of life after graduation. As I walked through the sea of students hugging their families I couldn't help but remember that amazing feeling RIGHT after the graduation ceremony.

You know the feeling when you're in your cap and gown and taking pictures and everyone is happy and you're so excited because this is the moment your life will REALLY start.

And about an hour after that, the reality sets in. 

The reality of having your entire family drive you completely crazy, of the fact that you are going to have to say goodbye to all these people you've grown to love and finally the reality that you have to actually do something, make a choice for what's next in your life. I'm telling you, graduations give you all the highs and then take you down to some low lows.

And we never talk about that. We're all, "you're so amazing! you're doing great!" which is true, but there's a whole other part that comes after graduation. After everyone around you has built you up and celebrated you and told you how great you are. It's the disappointment that comes when life doesn't actually miraculously change and become this amazing beginning of a rom com montage of fashionable work outfits and glamorous latte runs while on a call with the London office.

Change is scary and when people around you are banking on your "success" (or rather what success means to them) there's a lot of pressure to make the right decisions.

I've had 3 major graduations in my life and each one of them opened up another chapter of my life, but those chapters weren't really what I expected. Things were harder than I'd thought they'd be and lonelier. With the magic of social media you can forever compare yourself to other people doing "better." Unfortunately, nobody after they've just graduated from anything is posting "I am at a job I'm not sure I like and I am so sad and unfulfilled." Even though that's probably what they're feeling. So you find yourself feeling so confused and wondering what the point of going to school was because maybe you're not in the place you wanted to be. Plus it feels like everyone you graduated with is doing amazing and that just adds insult to injury.

So from one former graduate to new graduates everywhere I want to say things may just be disappointing for a while. You may not land the job or the fellowship you wanted, you may feel the weight of those student loans, you may just miss the high of getting an A (I seriously miss this).

And in those moments I want you to try and remember that feeling of complete confidence and joy you felt during that post-ceremony photoshoot. 

Remember that you are all of those great things people told you on that day and more. 

Remember that your accomplishments aren't the measure of your worth. 

Remember to trust your passions and your gut. 

Remember that if you make a wrong turn, you can always right the ship. 

And as I sit here 4 years after grad school, 9 years after undergrad and a whopping 13 years from high school graduations wondering about my own life, my own career journey and passions,  I'll try and remind myself of all those things too.

Congrats Class of 2017, you're gonna be great.