Skip to main content

What It Feels Like to Be Finished College

I always wondered what it will be like to finally be finished with education and this day has finally come (well, I'm finished with it for now anyway). 

I submitted my last ever assignment the previous week and it took me another 5 working days to cool down and accept the fact that I really am done. And here, are the thoughts I've been having this last couple of days:

1. What even is life? 

For the last 4 years, my life revolved around exams, assignments and stress that had been accompanied by an occasional study all-nighter. This is why I'm still not quite sure what to do with all the extra time or even fully comprehend the fact that I can finally engage in more activities I enjoy without feeling guilty because of an approaching deadline or exam.

2. So I'm a REAL adult now. 

I have a 9 to 5 job, I pay taxes, I don't get student discounts & I'm earning more money. This adult thing can be quite stressful for some but I found it empowering; I don't have to rely on anyone because I've got my own money and I can spend it on silly things because well, who's gonna stop me?  (I'm pretty sure I could hear my bank account sobbing in the distance as I wrote this).

3.  What now? 

So I'm finished with college and I have a job I'm quite happy with but there is still this weird feeling of emptiness that I cannot get rid of. It feels like I've been thrown out of a routine that went on for 4 years - or much longer than that if I were to take into account all the years I spent in school. 

Don't get me wrong - I am delighted & very proud of myself but I feel super lost, despite having everything under control. Should I be doing more with my life? Should I enrol in a Masters programme? I feel like I'm not doing enough just because I now have more time on my hands.

4. Who do I hang out with? 

 My friend group can be divided into three categories; the friends I made in school as a kid, the friends I made in college and the friends I met on random occasions. The problem is, I'm at this weird age when some of my friends are very much into partying and some already started their own families - while others simply moved country and I don't see them anymore. 

 What I'm trying to say is that I'm somewhere in the middle; like yes I think your baby is adorable and I'm very happy for you but I'm not at the same stage in life and yes I want to socialise but no I can't do it every weekend because my body cannot handle it. 

 5. More time for travel

 I always wanted to travel extensively but that was difficult with college, part-time jobs and other commitments. Now that this chapter is closed, I can finally start planning some trips, ideally outside of Europe.

I am beyond excited to see what the future holds and glad that I can finally move on. 

 What about you? Are you a student currently? Are you finished with your degree? What was your first thought after graduating? 

 I would love to hear from you. 

 Paula
Labels:

Comments

  1. John Ryan13 July 2018 at 12:35

    You need to get travelling NOW. Don't delay. Then you need to find your tribe. A group of people who you can call friends outside of those you already have. It's a bit cliched but you need to find yourself, although that's what college is for. ENJOY life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. primavera25 August 2018 at 13:48

      I'm still on probation period in my current job so I will have to wait a little before I can take some time off but I will definitely make use of all the free time I have now to travel. And yess - I definitely need new people in my life - ones I can trust & call friends. Thanks so much for reading. ♡

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why seeking validation from others will only harm your self worth & how to stop

We all have insecurities and we all look for validation from others whether we'd like to admit it or not.  It often starts in our early life when we feel the need to fulfil the expectations imposed on us by our parents. Later, it escalates into seeking approval of our physical appearance and behaviour by our peers and partners and eventually, the need to appeal to our colleagues & superiors at work might also come into play. This search for validation becomes addictive and we quickly develop a need for more.  But what's really scary about this is the fact that we're letting other people take control over how we feel about ourselves by allowing them to define whether we are attractive enough or smart enough. This is beyond wrong, I mean, how can we value the opinion of others above our own?!  Moreover, constantly seeking validation makes receiving disapproval a very painful experience and stops us from moving forward and aiming for our goals. Ultima...
8 comments
Read more

''When you go back home''

I am not one to be easily offended. In fact, I think that we've all become very aware. Every joke and every comment we make is carefully curated, positioned in a way that has absolutely no potential to be taken as deragatory by whoever we're speaking to.  Political correctness or not, I love how awake the society has become through all of this. The empathy that emanates from some of us when speaking to someone coming from a minority group, or experiencing difficulties that we will never go through ourselves.  But I can't help feeling hurt when assumptions are made. It bothers me when someone assumes how I feel, who I am or where I seem to belong.  It stings, when someone asks me when I last visited ''home'' after 15 years of being an expat. Because truth to be told, I have no ''home'' in my native country. HERE is my home. Here is where I belong, where a piece of me will stay even if I choose to move somewhere else in the future. The slightes...
Post a Comment
Read more

2021

 2021...where do I even start! The last 2 years of my life felt like a shapeless lump of time. I've grown, matured, moved forward in various aspects of life, yet it still feels like I've put a lot of my dreams and plans on the backburner, for obvious reasons. It wasn't all so bad though. This past year I... Picked up new hobbies Got promoted Bought my first car Saw one of my closest friends get married Discovered my inner child Had my 1st anniversary of being vegetarian Travelled for the first time since the pandemic broke out Learned to love my own company and bring myself on solo dates Made new connections Met my cousin's new baby Learned how to control my negative emotions better (mindset is everything.) Discovered new things about myself, who I am, and what I really want from life and personal relationships I'm sure I've had many other happy moments and realizations this past year, but these are the ones that come to mind first. With all that's going on ...
Post a Comment
Read more