Co-authored by Jody Porowski, CEO at Avelist
It's a good thing, I promise.
1. Life changes after college. And at first it will be hard. You and all of your best friends won't live in the same building. You might even live in different cities.
2. You'll find yourself spending way more time alone than you have in the past four years combined. Maybe you'll finally eat at a restaurant alone (with a book or your computer, of course).
3. And there will be Friday nights that you don't have anything to do. In fact, you probably won't want to do anything on a Friday night. Because you'll be tired.
4. Gone are the days when you were constantly recruited to join social groups or campus organizations. No one's fighting over you now, that's for sure.
5. You'll try to stay in touch with college friends. You'll look forward to reunions. You'll make weekend road trips a priority. You'll spend tons of time on the phone and writing each other emails.
6. You'll probably try to meet new friends too. And you might cry, because you feel like you won't ever find any friends as good as the ones you made in college.
7. But slowly you'll shift gears and the "real world" will start to feel normal.
8. You will find a career path that you're passionate about. But don't be discouraged if it takes a few jobs or grad school to get there. That's normal.
9. You'll realize that you don't have to study for tests and write papers. Suddenly you'll be able to explore interests, hobbies and passions that you didn't have time for in college.
10. You'll be "on your own" in a new way. While the heightened responsibilities of life might feel scary at first, eventually you will feel empowered and independent.
11. You'll see your friends working hard to make the world a better place, investing themselves in all different industries, becoming the people they were created to be. And you'll be proud of them. You'll also smile when you think about the days you lived together in the same house.
12. As time moves on, you'll find a new normal. You'll keep your old friends but you'll make new friends too. Through work, your gym, networking events, your young pro kickball team, parties, or a non-profit you volunteer at.
13. And one day, out of the blue, you'll sit back and realize that if someone gave you the choice, you wouldn't go back to college. Because you love your life. You're excited about the future. And you want to keep moving forward.
You might also like:
5 Secrets to Making College Friendships Last a Lifetime
Does Your College GPA Actually Matter?
A College Student's Guide to Studying Abroad
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