I Just Graduated From University. Now What?

Post-graduate life during a pandemic is tricky.

Last week I finally received my university diploma. I graduated with a double major in Business Administration & Journalism and Mass Communications.

OK, so far so good.

You’ve waited 4 years for that moment when the president of the university will shake your hand, congratulate you on your graduation, and give you your awaited diploma. All this in front of a big crowd, among which your family and friends are seated.

Four years you would imagine this day.

However, in reality, here’s how this day went for me:

Last Friday, I got up and went to the university accounting office to pay my mandatory $50 Graduation Fee. “The sum covers printing and shipping costs.” I thought: “Well since I’m in town, I shouldn’t pay for any shipping costs whatsoever. So, the printing paper better be made out of gold for the amount I’m paying.” It wasn’t.

Then, I had to walk for 1 kilometre to the university’s campus and its registrar office. The weather was perfect for an outdoor commencement ceremony. I stood at the exact place where the stage would’ve been placed. Rather, this time, kids were running and playing around.

I went to the registrar office, handed my worn-out plastic credit card to a lady working there, and received my diploma.

Just to make things clear, we were all aware of the fact that we wouldn’t have a commencement ceremony even back then. So, it wasn’t big of a surprise to find out that there would be no applause when the semester finishes.

Although the physical document was only $50, the actual value of the education lies in the 5-digit area. You’ve already paid thousands of dollars so far, so these fifty bucks wouldn’t be a problem for you.

So, instead of the president handing me my diploma, it was the lady from the registrar office, who happened to be the person who congratulated me first. I just smiled and went back home.

OK, you’ve received your precious, shiny piece of paper, now what?

Well, there’s one thing that you’ve been trying not to think about all these years since you’ve started — money. More precisely — bank loan. Even more precisely — the compounding interest on the already extremely high loan. You’ve got nowhere to hide anymore. You need to start repaying it. Now.

Another thing that’s been there for the past couple of months, a thing you intentionally and unsuccessfully have been trying not to think about so much — the COVID-19 pandemic aftermath.

My university went online at the beginning of March and stayed like that until the end of the semester. It wasn’t cool. I missed the class atmosphere and the chit-chats.

I knew that, however, even though I received a good education, it would still be hard for me to find a job during the lock-down. First, because there would be less job supply, as more and more companies would cut employees. Second, the job demand would be considerably higher than in previous years. That’s because students would not join the Work And Travel program, instead, they will be looking for summer jobs. This all meant my chances of getting hired were declining every single day since graduation.

The work-related future seems a bit dark for all the post-graduate students like me, right?

Well, this might not be the case.

Among all of the anxiety at the beginning of this summer, I think that you can still turn the tables around. How?

With sheer persistence and many tries and failures.

Having a huge loan that waits to be repaid, I think that it would be of no use to lay in bed and moan. There’s no use of that.

Instead of saying to yourself how HARD it is to find a job, how HARD it is to manage anxiety (although it’s completely acceptable to be anxious and the like in such times), and how HARD it is to barely hang on.

My advice to myself and to all of you guys out there that are currently more or less lost in the vast sea of unpredictability: If you give up it’s over. So, start now, start with pain, with anxiety, with tears, but start. Start doing something. Anything.

Please, leave a comment about your post-graduate experience, so we can all help each other.