*Dear College Grads,

Congrats, you made it! Go out, experience the world.

Get ready, because it's not what you expect. Be prepared for some major disappointment and disillusionment. Odds are, you aren't going to find your dream job. Post-college life is great though, because you don't have to study.

You also lose an easy social life. It's not hard to be social when you go to class every day and see people, or meet them for lunch conveniently on campus, etc. When school is over, daily life is very much the same from one to the next. It's difficult to break up that routine. And if you're like me, it's very tiring to make any effort whatsoever to be social, so you will probably opt out for a night in on the weekend.

You might feel a little like you lost some of your identity. You've spent the last 17+ years of your life as a student. Life consisted very much of a class schedule, tests, papers, projects, presentations, etc. That's gone. You can't say you are a student anymore, and whatever you become will take a while before you really come into that role.

Get ready for fewer breaks. There is no longer "Christmas vacation," spring break, or summer vacation. Unless you're a teacher, forget all of that.

You might find yourself a little depressed and anxious because life isn't what you thought it'd be. It really isn't as carefree and wonderful as those first few days after graduation may have felt. But hang in there. If you're like me, single and young, you still have a lot of life ahead of you, God-willing (ok, maybe I should edit that.... if you are married you also still have a lot of life ahead of you, but you know what I mean!). There are still a lot of possibilities, even if you really can't "be whatever you want to be."

My best advice is to pursue jobs relentlessly, and don't be above taking a job you might not be thrilled about. It will build your character, just like Mom always said, and though it's going to be tough at times, it will make you a better person.

All my love,
Natalie

*Graduation time is one of my favorite times of the year. However, now well past my college graduation I am remembering how completely disillusioned I really was when it was all said and done. Just read through some of my blog posts from last August/September. Reading facebook statuses of grads who are so excited brings back all the awesome feelings of being done, but also reminds me of the weeks following the big event.

Life really has gotten better. Although I really struggled for awhile, and sometimes still do, I'm glad to have gotten where I am. Graduation season always reminds me that there is a beginning and end to everything, that there are seasons in life. If I am in a difficult place, it is TEMPORARY. Whether we will see the end of certain difficulties in this life, or not until eternity, our struggles are not forever.

Remember when you studied in high school or college, and felt as though it would go on forever? Or that 20+ page paper you worked endless hours on? But they ended. Last fall, when I was depressed, sad, disappointed... not to say that moments like those don't still come along, but they ended as well. Life did not stay forever such a horrible thing. And I know that life has yet to bring me disappointments and difficulties. They will end, whether in this life or not.