I am standing in a sea of caps, decorated with gems and colorful designs marking the milestone of commencement. I look up at the stands, seeing my family beam with pride as I wave at their cameras. Everything around me seems to play in slow motion as I rise with my peers, as we move our tassels from right to left, as we participate in this rite of passage together, and as we take our next steps into the future.

All of a sudden, memories from the past four years flood through my mind like a montage of film scenes. 

I remember attending countless matinee performances, beaming with pride as I saw my acting friends share their creativity and talent on stage.

I remember looking forward to every Thursday night – pregaming with my friends at their dorm before we went out to Rho, our local college bar. My friends and I danced on the stage while we sipped on rum and Cokes, praying the night would never end.

I remember writing countless essays in my room, creating group presentations on Google Slides, and burning out while finishing a 20-page art portfolio.

About five months ago, I finished my last semester of college. My final day on campus was bittersweet, as I completed the last presentation that I would ever give in class. The rest of the day was spent soaking up my last moments on campus. 

As I packed up my life in blue bags, the emotions hit me like a freight train. I would no longer be a five-minute walk from my best friends or see the same people in my classes again: my time at college was over. The realization was a hard pill to swallow, tears streaming down my face as I drove home. Four years of my life, gone in the blink of an eye. 

By the time spring came around, I had been out of college for the past few months since I graduated early. I spent most of my time job hunting and sending applications out to potential employers. After two months, I landed a job before my commencement ceremony. As much as I wished I could’ve stayed one more semester, I’m grateful for the path I ended up on.

Then, graduation day arrived. The morning felt surreal, standing in my cap and gown and mentally preparing for the fact that I would be walking across the stage for the last time, officially going from student to alumni.

When I arrived at the stadium, I ran into old acquaintances and my closest friends before the procession. I knew that commencement would bring me emotional whiplash, but I remained happy. I walked in with a smile on my face, understanding that graduation was a celebration of all the experiences and accomplishments I achieved. A wave of adrenaline washed over me when I walked across the stage, raising my hands in the air in triumph.

Now, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss college. I miss having my own space, seeing my friends every day, and going to on-campus events. Being home for the past few months has been an adjustment, as I’m still getting used to the fact that I am in the post-grad phase of my life.

One of the biggest challenges I’ve had to navigate is maintaining contact with my college friends. Since we live far away, I try my best to check in with them every week by text or a phone call. Some days, it feels isolating, but knowing they are a phone call away and always responding when I reach out makes me feel at peace. 

After being in college for the past four years, I am looking forward to creating a new routine for myself outside of the classroom. Since I graduated a semester early, I was able to get a head start on job searching. 

For two months, I scoured LinkedIn and other job sites, making an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of all the jobs I applied for. Luckily, I secured a six-month remote communications internship. I was relieved to know I had a job lined up after graduation and excited to gain professional experience. 

I’ve been working for the past two months, and so far, it has been an incredible experience. The best part of my job is that it is flexible, as I am able to set my hours and work from the comfort of my home. One of my key responsibilities is creating social media graphics and new content campaigns for my company’s online presence.

Being able to showcase my creativity and bring new ideas to the table has helped my confidence thrive. In addition, my job has helped me fall back into a routine, something I missed when I was in college. I work in the morning, then set aside time for my hobbies, which include watching TV, listening to music, and writing.

To my fellow post-grads, here are a few words of wisdom as you take your next steps into the world.

Treat every day like a new chapter of a book still being written. There are so many stories we have yet to tell, places we have yet to see, and people we have yet to meet. As I have grown more acclimated to post-grad life, one of the things I have learned is to embrace the unknown. Some of my days at home are memorable, and other times, they blend into each other. 

While I enjoy having a routine, sometimes it becomes repetitive and monotonous, so I make a habit of practicing a different hobby every day. Whether it is watching a film I’ve never seen or writing a poem, these hobbies feed the creative side of my mind. One of the biggest ways that I treat every day like a new chapter is writing for independent magazines, sharing my thoughts on art-related topics and my personal experiences.

To quote “Closing Time” by Semisonic, “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” New beginnings can be scary, but they can also be exciting, so I encourage you to be open to new experiences and never stop learning. Just because you are out of college doesn’t mean learning stops: learning is a lifelong process. 

Another piece of advice I would like to share is to read as much as you can. I recently created an account on Substack, so I can share my thoughts and experiences with others, regardless of how much engagement I receive. I set aside at least 2-3 hours a day for reading; whether it’s a few book chapters or digital think pieces, I find that it hones my critical thinking skills and strengthens my vocabulary. 

Every day is a new beginning, an opportunity to learn, create, and find your voice. What will your next chapter say?