I FORGOT to also mention these 3 tips: 1. If you feel lost and don't know what to do, a good rule to live by is: when you don't know what to do, do something for someone else. 2. HIGHLY recommend the free online Yale course "The Science of Well-Being" by Laurie Santos. My biggest takeaway from that course is that it is scientifically proven people find the most purpose and happiness when they are helping other people. So when you're feeling lost, finding ways to help people may bring you a feeling of purpose. 3. I know I had a lot of ideas just floating in my head about different directions I could take my life and it really helped to put it on paper. I love making "mind maps." You start by writing where you are now (age, place you're living, job, what you like doing, etc.) and then draw arrows to different directions of where you could go next. Or if you know your end goal, plop your end goal on the other side of the paper and trace backwards. Hope these extra tips also helped :)
I'm just about to graduate and this video really helped me, I knew that one of my life goals was to get a degree and have managed to do this while dealing with until recently undiagnosed ADHD but throughout university I always struggled with not wanting to be stuck in the same everyday routine like everyone else and being scared of losing my passion for things etc. I never considered that this could stem from having stress drive me and a relatively clear path to an end goal, Imposter syndrome has also not helped. I just want to say thank you for this video, It really targeted a lot of issues I was having but was struggling to turn into words with my therapist. It's comforting to know that other people have experienced the same feelings and issues as you and knowing that it gets better and just acknowledging those feelings and issues.
Wow I resonate with this SO MUCH. I'm so glad I could help articulate some of the thoughts you were having. When I was going through my "post grad crisis" I was trying to read/watch/listen to EVERYTHING about the post grad crisis experience because it helped so much to hear my feelings/thoughts put into words too. Being diagnoses with ADHD later in life I'm sure poses its whole own set of challenges.
It's interesting how this also changes culturally. I'm from Brazil and got my degree there and post grad depression definitely isn't such a big thing there, I believe for 2 reasons: 1. Your job doesn't define you in the way I feel it does here in the US. When we meet othet people in Brazil the first question usually is "what do you like doing?" opposed to "what do you do?" that I usually hear here. 2. People keep living with family throughout university, and usually only move out when they have a job and can afford living by themselves (my case). So post-grad is usually an incredibly rewarding time for us, as we finally start having some independence.
This is really curious to me; I work in a similar space for one of ((those)) Seattle-based tech companies. I started my corporate career when I turned 30, and my post-graduation, 20's, whatever, was pure chaos and a lot of fun. I took weird and fun projects, traveled all over the world, was always broke and just getting by paying my own way. Going into a really traditional tech org... I don't have any of that existential dread. I already figured out who I am before attaching myself to a career I am exited about. I can't imagine having to do that at 24. Thank you for sharing your experience, and I will keep this in mind as I mentor and grow with the people around me. I was always a little jealous of peers who were 20,21,22 and had crystalized idea of where they were going; it sounds like a double edged sword.
I needed this!!! Just graduated with my bs in bio in December 2021, started working full time January this year as an STEM/research outreach specialist for the army and I love my job, but transitioning from student to full time is killing me🥺 I feel so lost and I honestly miss being a student so much some time.
I know exactly the feeling 🥺 and it's extra confusing when you love your job too cause then it's like what am I doing wrong? At least that's where I was! I hope it gets better soon Kiki!!
This is such wonderful advice!! I just graduated in May and though I have temporary internships over the next year, there are so many possibilities and pressures to be a high achiever moving forward that it can feel so overwhelming not knowing what to do. It is also all so new and you perspective is so helpful.
In my final semester, going to be SWE in Microsoft, and feeling post-grad crisis a little bit already. Feeling lost, unbalanced and unmotivated. Senioritis hits hard. Thanks for this video! It helps a lot!
Honestly. I didn’t know post grad crisis was a thing but I felt it. I needed this video. Reframing my brain that having this structure will lead me towards my own success, even though desirably having a more free schedule seems like a dream salary life. I never thought about taking classes though… did you take classes at a university or some place else super different? I really wanna try this tip out.
Right?? I thought I wanted a super free schedule and so I took a few weeks off work to try it out and honestly felt even less fulfilled not having the environment of my coworkers and my job to show up for everyday. I also tried moving around like a “digital nomad” during the pandemic but also found it unfulfilling because I didn’t get to build a community like I get to when I stay in one place. This isn’t the answer for everyone but this was my experience :) And as for the classes question, I took a pottery class through a local pottery studio (it was super cute, the owner used to live in the upstairs of the studio) and the poetry class was through Hugo House (a non profit writing organization) :)
