Advice to new graduates You’ve graduated! You’re ready and excited to start living your life, getting your career you’ve always wanted and finally becoming an adult. But you may be a little lost, and that’s totally OK, everyone gets to that point in their transition from college to adulthood where they sit back and realize that they do not have it all together, so here’s some advice that everyone, even if you’re graduating or not, should listen to.
1. No one has it all together No one knows what they are doing. The people you looked up to when you were younger, the people you thought had it all figured out, have no idea what they are doing. It is OK to just wing it, no one is perfect.
2. You won’t get your dream job right out of college Yes, it’s great to think about graduating college and going straight into what you’ve always dreamed of doing, but that’s not the reality. It’s OK not to have the job you’ve always wanted right out of college, you have your whole life ahead of you to get there, just enjoy where you are at now.
3. Learn to say “no” For some people, saying no is not an issue, but for others, it can be impossible. You will learn quickly in your professional and personal lives that taking on too much is not healthy. You should learn how to say “no” when you know that saying “yes” will impact other parts of your life.
4. It’s OK not to know what you want to do Not everyone will graduate college and know exactly what they want to do with their lives. Surely you have been having this realization as you’ve gotten closer to your graduation date. Asking yourself “what am I supposed to do with my life,” is a natural thing that everyone does. Taking some time exploring different jobs can help you figure out what it is you want to do.
5. It’s OK to fail Everyone fails every once and awhile and failing just gives you an opportunity to learn and try again. People view 18 | FALL 2021
failing as something that is negative, but the one thing you should do is realize that failing is probably one of the best things you can do. This also means you should be open to criticism. Accepting that something you did wasn’t completely correct can help you in the long run learn and grow.
6. Learn to communicate Many people have learned good communication skills, but a lot still haven’t. Learning how to communicate well with other people will not only help you when speaking to potential bosses, but also in your personal life as well. Good communication skills are always key to understanding other people and helping them understand you.
7. Ask for help Asking for help can make some people feel like they sound like they don’t know anything. Asking for help just means that you’re open to learning new things. Not everyone knows everything and when you ask for help it shows that you want to learn the correct way to do things. This will also save yourself and other people a lot of time in the long run.
8. Make sure you take time for yourself You may have some more personal time after graduation. Going from being a full-time student with a job/internship to just
having a full-time job can be a little big of a shock. Take some time to yourself, whether that’s relaxing at home, going out with friends or working out, taking time for yourself can help your mental and physical health.
9. Continue learning Just because you have graduated college doesn’t mean you should stop learning new things. There are so many opportunities where you can continue your education without being in school. Again, not one person knows everything there is to know, so there are always new things to learn about.
10. Travel if you can No one ever said “Wow, I really regret taking that trip to Europe after I graduated.” Go see new places, learn new languages and cultures, eat different cuisines. You’re young and can go out and see the world, so why wouldn’t you?
