CONGRATULATIONS! You’re officially done and over with school. Yes, graduation is the end of school but it’s also the beginning—the “start of real life,” as they say. This transition, which all of us go through, makes us feel a mix of emotions and reflect on certain things about our lives. Here are seven questions we’ve all asked ourselves during our time post-college.
“How did I manage to graduate?”
If you were the type who skipped classes like attendance was optional, made your homework as it was being collected by the professor or crammed months’ worth of lessons an hour before an exam but defied all odds and got that diploma, you deserve a pat on the back! Don’t worry, your teachers are just as confused as you are. Summa cum laude may be the highest award by the academe, but let’s face it—you’re the biggest success story in the room.
“Will I get a job I like?”
Some industries have more job opportunities than others. With that said, if you live in a place where there aren’t a lot of jobs that are related or in line with the career path you want to pursue, job hunting can be difficult. Aside from being relevant to your degree, compensation is also an important factor. However, set realistic expectations—you can’t get a five-digit monthly paycheck right away. You want to apply what you studied in college but at the same time, make ends meet.
“How will I survive without my weekly allowance?”
Goodbye school, goodbye allowance. Throughout our time in school, we could always rely on our allowance to save and use for our ‘extracurricular’ activities—I’m talking about shopping, movies, and food trips, silly! It was our only means of income. But the time has come; now, you have to look for a job and earn your own money.
“Will I see my friends and classmates again?”
As sad as it is to admit, graduation also means not seeing your friends and classmates every day. We’ve gotten used to seeing them almost every day so it’s hard not to miss them and to feel a bit of separation anxiety. While some of you may continue to keep in touch with and stay good friends, others will inevitably and slowly drift apart—sad but true.
“Should I get a job right away or bum for a few months?”
Some would say it would be best to get a job right away so you can start earning, while others would advise otherwise and suggest to just relax for a month or two. You just finished almost two decades of school—a month-long vacation at least is well-deserved, right?
“How do I get all these government requirements?”
SSS, Pag-ibig, BIR, to name a few—there are so many documents to procure for pre-employment. And we all know getting these documents isn’t as easy as going through a fast food drive-thru. “So this is what adulting feels like,” you’ll say with a wrinkled forehead while waiting in line. Going through that list of requirements will be overwhelming at first but just take it easy and you’ll be fine.
“Will I be successful in the future?”
Whether you graduated with flying colors or not, the reality is that an award does not guarantee success (although the definition of success is subjective). The future is definitely uncertain and out of your hands so rather than worry about something you have no control over, just focus on yourself and do the best in everything you do. Success isn’t achieved by sheer luck, after all.