Top Ten Tips for a Happy Life after Graduation

 As the New Year unfolds, a wave of several twenty-somethings are getting ready to graduate this spring.

This new phase of life can be very daunting and the last weeks of college quite bittersweet. In fact, it feels like your life as you know it is ending at the age of 22 with life after graduation. 

However, the current TokTok trend of users discussing how their lives didn’t stop at 17 to Phoebe Brigders’ I Know the End and Scott Street got me thinking about how life does not stop after you toss you graduation caps. 

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Graduating is a big deal, but it's not the end-it’s a new beginning! So, below is a guidebook with tips to make the post-grad journey a breeze. Let’s dive into the top ten tips for a happy life after graduation!

1. Tip for Life after Graduation: 

Bumble for Friends

For those of you who are moving to a new city after graduation, it can be hard to make new friends, especially when working remotely.

You do not have the privilege of living on a college campus anymore with friends max 10 minutes away at all times.

Therefore, it is no surprise that those who relocate struggle to make new friends.

However, Bumble for friends is a great way to meet people and get out there! There is no shame in the game, if your friends are meeting their future partners on dating apps, why can’t you meet friends online too!? 

In fact, queen of TikTok Alix Earle just posted about the app Bumble for friends and how she loves to go to workout classes with her friends and then get a sweet treat or coffee afterwards!

This is a great low stakes way to make friends, as you can explore your new city and get a sweat in! 

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2. Tip for Life after Graduation: 

Fitness Related Community Apps

The new rage in working out across the country has been fitness related community apps.

These apps are a great way to explore your city and see what local gyms have to offer without committing to one membership.

You can also gain access to hundreds of classes every day and find the classes that best fit in your busy schedule.

One popular app is GymPass, where you can get access to pay-as-you-go workout classes to discover gyms around your area.

The app Strava is also a great way to meet new people. Strava allows users to set up clubs, if that be for running, cycling, or even clubs preparing for triathlons.

This is a great way to find athletes that run or cycle at the same time as you in your neighborhood! 

A favorite fitness related community app is ClassPass.

ClassPass is a great way to explore the city you live in and meet new people with similar hobbies that are good for your body and soul!

Class pass is a way to afford to go to the classes without committing to a membership. In fact, the Classpass credits roll over each month, so it's pretty low pressure.

They are offering a free week of classes so check it out!

3. Tip for Life after Graduation

Learn a new hobby

Now that you have a more routine schedule with the 9-5, take advantage of this new life! You can learn a new hobby now that you are out of the busy college lifestyle.

Many people want to learn how to cook, like really cook, and not just air fry frozen Trader Joes meals for the rest of their life after graduation.

You should look forward to being able to set aside time to achieve your goals in life after graduation. 

Overall, just pick a new hobby to adopt, as learning keeps the soul alive!

4. Tip for Life after Graduation

Join a club

Another TikTok trend you may have been seeing on your For You Page is that “you are either going crazy, getting married, or training for a (half) marathon” in your early twenties.

You could join a running club on Strava or sign up for the Brewery Running Series! This company is active across 20 states in the country and has local breweries sponsor 5k’s where participants get a free beer at the end!

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However, if running is not your jam, try to join a club in your city that aligns with your interests!

5. Tip for Life after Graduation

Continuous learning

Now that you are out of school, it can feel like that educational piece of your life is missing. If you love to learn and grow, try to incorporate continuous learning into your life after graduation!

For those of us in marketing, you can try to read books and articles about the industry to keep up on trends.

Also, a great way to maintain continuous learning is to listen to podcasts in your field and hear from professionals in marketing, such as on Sky Society!

6. Tip for Life after Graduation

Start a side hustle

Did you know that 40% of Generation Z has a side hustle outside of their job that makes them money?!

Side hustles are a great way to achieve financial freedom and keep that creative job that may not be making you as much money as you’d like.

Some popular side hustles you could pick up are monetizing your pinterest, posting on TikTok, opening a depop thrift store, etsy store, and more!

This side hustle could ideally align with your interests and hobbies, making you money along the way.

Read more.

7. Tip for Life after Graduation: 

Keep in touch with those you love

While you are focusing on building your new life and finding new friends with life after graduation, it is still important to keep in touch with those you love.

Although you may be living in separate cities from your college friends, it is important to maintain these connections. You may be focused on building your future, but make sure to reach out to past friends. 

Set a goal for yourself to reach out to at least one friend directly every day. It can be simple, such as sending a funny TikTok to your friend, just make sure you keep in touch with those you love.

Maintaining these relationships will serve you for the rest of your life.

8. Tip for Life after Graduation

Explore!

Make sure that you explore the world while you still have little obligations in your life after graduation. Travel, travel, travel and gain new experiences outside of what you know.

Many times people regret waiting to travel until they are much older, take advantage of your youth and see the world while you can. 

Exploring can also be applied to work as well. Try to explore and see what you like to do within your job and what roles you like to take on.

Take on new projects and challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone, as you will grow in the end.

Overall, just try new things, try new jobs, move to a new city, and see what you like in life!

9. Tip for Life after Graduation

Limit comparing yourself to others

Make sure you never compare yourself to others. Everyone is on their own timeline, has their own roles, and different goals.

Some people will move home, some will travel, some will continue on with graduate school, but make sure to never compare separate paths. Also, remember time and time again that social media fake!!

10. Tip for Life after Graduation

Stay calm, it takes time

The best you can do is try to stay calm and ride the wave that is life after graduation. Understand that you will probably work for a large portion of your life, and that life is just starting after graduation.

It may take some time to reach success, but have faith that everything will work out in the end. You define your success, and you define your happiness.

Remember that you are building a new nest, and that it takes time to get used to your new surroundings. 

✍️ Written by Eva Svenningsen