I Graduated! Now What?

It happened. The day we've all been waiting for. You walked across that stage, someone important handed you your diploma, and you officially graduated! Perhaps you and your family went to dinner after to celebrate. Maybe you threw a huge party. Maybe you immediately went home and passed out. Slowly but surely, the question that not only you want the answer to, but everyone is asking: now what?

I always felt a bit insulted when people asked me that question. It was never someone straight up asking "Now what are you going to do with your life?" It was more of, "What're your plans?", or "What's next for you?". Now I'm sure these are just courtesy questions to ask, but let's not forget the fact that I spent four very long, very hard years in college, directly after four very long, very hard years in high school, directly after five (six if you count kindergarten) not as hard, but longer years in elementary school. And let's not even get into preschool! I don't know about you, but I would have loved just a minute to breathe and enjoy not being in school. But I did not give myself that minute. Because of the conditioning I received from both high school and college, I craved being busy. I cannot handle downtime. The day after I graduated, I was in New York on auditions, and the week after I was already working on a new show. I am not saying any of this to be brag-y. I am saying this because I should have stopped. I should have took that minute.  As some would say, I should have stopped and smelled the roses. I denied the reality of my situation and drove myself into the ground. If no one has ever said this to you, I am honored to be the first:

It is okay to take a break.

I was so caught up in making sure that I had a job post-grad, that all of the emphasis was on the job and not the grad. Graduating college is no small feat. It is a huge deal. It is a ginormous accomplishment. There are plenty of blood, sweat, and tears wrapped up in that diploma. Graduating should never be taken for granted.

Once the celebrating is done, the truth of the situation hits. You are a full fledge adult and you can truly do (almost) anything. Now, in order to paint this picture, let's do a little plan-your-own-adventure game because why not.

Event 1: You graduated (WOO!)

A- Go to graduate school

B- Go straight into the working world.

For those that chose A, you will continue down a familiar path!  Although this time, you will no longer be surrounded by the friends you spent four years getting to know. You will make new friends and connects at a new school. Unlike undergrad, you won't be forced into a living situation with strangers and urged to play "get-to-know-you" games. You will have even more freedom to explore your adulthood, while also furthering your education. Paying off those undergrad student loans? Those can wait! Going to grad school delays the hard truths of paying back those colossal loans, if you have any at all. However, grad school isn't cheap. So if you're already in the hole, you may be digging it even deeper. On the plus side, going to grad school increases your chances of getting a high playing job and the prestige of additional letters at the end of your name. And we may even have to call you doctor after!

If you chose B, and have student loans, you will immediately enter into a 6 month grace period. This is pretty much the time that your lenders give you to find a job so that you can have the funds to pay your loans back. I would urge you to find a job in your field of study, not just something that will pay the bills. I mean you spent all of that time and money on a degree, you might as well use it. And you'll be surprised at how many skills you've acquired during your time in school that are not printed on your diploma. For example, the skills I acquired from my work study job in college have been really helpful with potential jobs now.

While finding a job, you must also figure out where you're going to live, given that this could also be an added expense. Now you either have the option to rent or buy your own housing, or move back home with your parents. And honestly some may not have the option to move back home. For those that choice to venture out on your own, you will probably need some roommates, especially if you are supporting yourself because rent is RIDICULOUSLY HIGH these days. So find some of those friends you worked so hard to make and get a crib together. Or you can find Facebook groups for the area that you are planning to move to and find others who are also looking for roommates. But if you choose this route, be safe and cautious. Do your research on who you are signing a lease with because you want to be completely comfortable where ever you choose to call home.

If you choose to live with your parents, the great thing is you'll be saving a lot of money. Even if your parents ask you to help out with a few bills or some of the rent or mortgage, you still will be paying less than you would if you were living on your own. All that money that you're saving? STACK IT. Use this time at home to save money so that when you do decide to move, you have a slush fund to keep you afloat. The downside to this route is that for the past four years you have learned how to live without your parents and your parents have learned how to live without you. So moving back under the same roof can prove to be very difficult. You essentially have to relearn how to live together. I know I struggled with this big time. It took my parents a long time to recognize me as an adult, not as the young kid that left for school. If you can learn how to navigate being back home with your family and make it work (both sides will have to do some compromising and lots of communicating), then you'll be set for a lot of money saving.

In my future blog posts, I want to get really deep into money and budgeting, navigating friends and family, etc. but I just wanted to touch on them quickly here because that's all involved in your first 6 months of post-grad life. There are a lot of important decisions you have to make that cannot wait. And you can question your professors for their advice, or asking your parents, but at the end of the day, only you know what's best for you. But know this: there is no wrong answer! There are no mistakes here. Say you moved into your own place and learn quickly that you can't afford it. No worries! See if moving back home with your parents is an option. Let's say you decide to go straight to work, but then realize you miss school and want to go to graduate school. Awesome! Apply for the upcoming semester. There are no right or wrongs with how you live your life. We just have to learn from our hiccups. Just like a choose-your-own-adventure book, if you think you picked wrong, flip back a few pages and choose differently. You have no one to answer to but yourself. Choose what's right for you.