It has not hit me that in just a few days I will have officially completed my undergraduate degree. With being a first generation college graduate in my family and the first to graduate of my siblings, the anticipation of graduating has not hit me yet.
Graduation is shortly approaching and the list keeps piling up of things that need to be done before and after graduation. From finding a job to paying off my student loans, my plate is full after I walk across that stage and receive my diploma. The post-stresses that occur after graduation continue to grow for me as the big day slowly approaches.
After receiving my diploma I will be moving back home to San Francisco, Calif. Moving back home with my family will be a huge change. Going from living on my own to living in a house filled with eight people is going to be crazy transition. While dealing with that new change in my life, I will have to start looking for jobs in the area pertaining to my major. Even though San Francisco is a big city and there are many opportunities out there for me, I still wonder how long it will take me to become employed. When applying for jobs, I wonder whether the company will even look at my application.
Lately, many students need a masters degree to land jobs. According to John Wilson from msnbc.com, “college degrees are becoming the new high school diploma.” Worrying about landing a job is one of the biggest fears any new college graduate faces. Looking for jobs within my field of communications means I am now going to be in the real world.
Entering the “real world.” Just the thought of that phrase is intimidating. Becoming a working adult working from eight to five, Monday through Friday is crazy to me. I have always been use to the schedule of going to school my whole life and working part-time jobs. Adjusting to a different schedule is exciting and scary.
Paying off student loans is every college student’s worst nightmare. Being able to work for years to come to be able to pay back my student loans is depressing because in reality it takes most students years to pay back their student loans. And finding a job right after graduation is not easy for many graduates. Not finding a job right away makes it difficult to pay back my student loans. Concerned about how many years I am going to be in debt is something I do not even want to think about.
My fears, as well as many other college graduates, are like a chain reaction of feeling apprehensive. I fear not finding a job, which then connects back to how much I owe Sallie Mae for paying my way through my four years of college, and that links to the realization of entering the real world. The fears I have with post-graduation all connect to each other. Despite being unsure of my future and the stressful factors that come along with graduating from college, one of my biggest accomplishments will be receiving a college diploma.