The weeks leading up to your university graduation are pure bliss. Everything is perfect. Everything is wonderful. For the first time in so long you feel happy and it’s not the result of any recreational activities. The world is full of rainbows and sparkles, and you think it’ll stay that way forever. You poor, sweet, innocent child.
The good part is, you won’t be so naive for very long. The bad part is, it’ll hit you at the worst possible time.
What I thought graduation would feel like:
What it was actually like:
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Miss Four Eyes 
Hey Congrats on graduating . And I bet your future will be as bright as you imagined 😉
Thank you! I sure hope you’re right 🙂
You are welcome. Just stay strong, have faith and believe in yourself..you’ll be just fine! 🙂
I never graduated, I was sent down pit at early age..LOL Welcome to the grown up world now..LOL Great post as always 🙂 Big Hugs xxxoxxx
Mollie and Alfie
I bet you rocked at going right into the grown up world 😉
Big hugs, Stella!
The truth in this post is overwhelming. Still, there is excitement and happiness to accompany all those suddenly terrifying realizations. Congratulations on your graduation and good luck in whatever you decide to do next!
Thanks, Tiffany! How was yours? Scary or hop-over-rainbows-good?
You’re welcome. Mine was a good “I’m freeee!” kind of graduation…then a week later it hit me that I had to go out and find a job. Now that was scary.
You say so much with so little, partner.
Yours is a truly crazy, brilliant mind.
Hehe, thanks partner 😉
Worst comes to worst, if in doubt about what to do with yourself…well that’s why they invented postgraduate courses.
Ah-ha! So that’s what they’re there for!
I think the question everyone wants to know is….did you graduate naked?
Under the robe? ….I’m not allowed to say
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!
It’s been a few years, and I still don’t feel very grown up. Don’t worry though, things will work out!
Phew! Good to know that I’m not the only one. 🙂
Congratulations! I can relate to it all being anticlimactic. It helped me not to rely on the idea of working for something really great that will happen in the future. When I am able I can appreciate that the moment is now, then I can be fully fleshed out to be present — what did I just say?!
Auntie Sandee! I missed you!
Yay! I always look forward to your posts and to your progress — keep it up girl!
I think “Well shit” sums it up nicely.
Right? Nothing else necessary.
Congratulations, but yes, let the worrying begin. I was very much the, “Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.” …I’m still the “Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.” over a year later.
So it’s the worrying isn’t ending anytime soon, huh? Oh well. Might as well embrace it with a cookie or something 😉
I think I would have been better off if I had had your actual graduation experience. Sometimes I think my panic part (I don’t have any idea what to call it and that had two p’s in a row so…) is just broken.
My panic part is way too active. Wanna trade?
You may be underestimating how much motivation is provided by panic for most people most of the time… it might be more of a struggle to find the will to do much if you aren’t afraid than you think…
Huh, I never thought about it like that. The panic usually drives me crazy. But I get what you mean, Soul.
That’s why there’s graduate school.
Ha! I finally understand their purpose 🙂
postponing adult responsibility one degree at a time
It’s a wonder nobody’s started a How to be an Adult 101 course yet
I’d run FROM it
Welcome to the real world. Congratulations! In the real world you have to play dress up, sorry to say. You graduated from what?
I graduated from business school. I love playing dress up! Can I be a princess or a pirate?
Congrats!
Time to pay back student loans!!
Yay!
Seriously, I know the feeling, but don’t worry, the “what am I gonna be when I grow up?” question goes on forever.
Love the doodles.
Yay for student loans! Don’t you love those suckers?
Thanks, Leo! You think I could be a professional doodle-er or something? That might be fun 🙂
EXACTLY how I felt at graduation! I still don’t know what to do without school :p ha
But congrats on finishing!!
Thanks, Jill!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one! 🙂
Oh that’s so true! Congrats on graduating, well done! (PS loved the rainbow)
Thanks, Steph!
PS Drawing the rainbow reminded me of your tattoo and rainbow brownies from your blog (which of course just made me hungry) 🙂
ohhhh now I want brownies!!
Congrats!!! Fabulous.
Thank you! 🙂
HAhahaa! I laugh because I can relate SO much to this!
Congratulations on your graduation! Whatever you do, I hope it involves writing because you are so amazingly awesome at it! 🙂
amazingly awesome at writing? Thank you so much, Amy! That is so sweet. *hyper scrutinized high five*
CONGRATS on Graduating – panic or just adrenaline pumping through your veins, keeping you on your toes for what lies ahead, telling you not to be complacent, encouraging the questions and thoughts that now rattle in your head – so you can use them constructively… boy have I prattled on – well done!
I never thought of all that panic as encouragement, good way to look at it though. Thanks, mumsy 🙂
🙂 no probs hun
Congrats on your graduation! I wish you all the best on all the wonderful things that are waiting for you in the future. You are and amazing young woman…that’s exactly hat the world needs. Now get out there and start spreading your amazingness around!
Aw, thank you so much, Lisa! That is one of the nicest things I’ve ever heard. Lots of hugs for you.
I wish you would have told me earlier that you wanted advice. I would have told you of the crappy after college life.
No worries Bitter Ben, now is a good a time as any 😉
Yeah, don’t you hate when people give you advice after the fact. Not so helpful.
Congratulations!!!! I do hope you get to feel the rainbows and freedom soon!
Thanks, Daile! Me too!
….All of a sudden I feel like singing Over the Rainbow 😀
went though this exact same thing — doesn’t everyone? if you don’t get to the rainbows quickly, you’re going to get way more good stories/comedy out of the adventure. either way a win, right?
You make a good point! Rainbows or not, this is going to be a helluva ride!
Congratulations — whoop 😉
Thanks, Dawn!
That is all true, although it gets better after a while. I don’t know if the uncertainty in life gets all that better, though. I do kind of wish I could go back to school, since it was a good time of life in a lot of ways. Congratulations, by the way. 🙂
Yeah? Don’t you wish you had one of those remote controls for life. You could just rewind back to school. Panicking? Pause, fast forward, play.
Thanks, David 🙂
Congratulations! I’m pretty much always the person in the second picture… 🙂
You too huh, Rara?
Thanks!
Congrats! I have no doubt you’re going to be fine…although I’m sure it’s hard to see that now 😉
Thanks, Jen! It’s all good, just need some time with it I guess.
🙂
Yep. That’s about right. But it’ll pass.
Yeah? That’s good, can’t wait until it does.
It is not “What you know”, it is “Who you know”, use those communication skills to start
a network and do not be embarrassed to ask…ask your family and friends, ask your contemporaries who have landed a job “Who did you know???”, ask your professors
( a good laugh always makes your day brighter) ask the newspaper reporter who writes
the business column (the business you want to be in) in your local newspaper or
magazine, think outside of the box by asking those in the box to describe their limitations,
be original, find the name and address of the personnel manager of the company that
you want to work for and (maybe) go to their door and /or go to their church, p.s. some churches are good networking places, so are gyms, avoid the bars and clubs, unless
you want to become a slave in that business. Ask for negatives and positives…
you will learn from both.
Toot your own horn but do not tell little white lies…
I thank God that I have lived to be seventy years old and I don’t have to go through
what you are going through. The above suggestions have helped me help many
a family member who has climbed the same mountain.
Me, never was and I am still not afraid to ask.
Love, hugs and blessings…ME and the Boss
Wow, that’s really helpful stuff. I would have never thought of churches or gyms as places to network. Thank you so much. 🙂
“Job Searching with Social Media for Dummies” Joshua Waldman
Libraries are good…ME
Thanks, ME
Hahaha oh, it’s so true. Granted I dropped out like ten thousand times so I could travel all over the place but it was still utterly terrifying to realize I could no longer shroud my irresponsiblities under the excuse of “being a student.”
Congrats, btw!
The “being a student” excuse was one of the best, it’s too bad we can’t use it anymore.
Travelling all around the world like that sounds like so much fun!
It certainly was fun.. though that excuse is almost a good enough reason to go to grad school… almost…
Hahahaha! Perfect. I have the solution for you. Keep going to school. That’s why I have so many degrees. School prepared me for being good at . . . school. I even still work at a school. It’s kind of sad, really . . . where did all the rainbow sparkles go?
The rainbows and sparkles are at the bottom of the seventh coffee of the day. And they’re beeeautiful!
Ah, that might be why they don’t like the coffee I make at the library coffee shop. All those sparkles.
They can’t handle the sparkles.
Hahaha, to be honest I never finished high school, but there have been other times when those kind of realisations have dawned on me and I have freaked out about what the hell I’m going to do now!
Well I hope things are starting to make sense and take shape, and that your diet consists of more than instant noodles!
*Nudie panicked hugs!*
Rohan.
Things are starting to come together. Slowly though, very very slowly. I’m loving those sudden epiphany moments where I go “ah-ha! The world isn’t so scary!”
Instant noodles are the best food group (right after the chocolate food group, of course). But yeah, I’m learning how to cook. Turns out I’m not half bad……just clumsy. Flour is so hard to contain to one area of the kitchen, it just flies everywhere!
*nudie hugs*
visit and Thank you for writing which is quite good and best wishes always, and greetings
Thanks, Gede 🙂
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