As the spring semester of my senior year rolled around, I was hit with the sobering realization that my college journey was coming to an end. The days of turning in textbooks, submitting final projects, and hanging out with friends between classes were numbered. It was time to say goodbye to a life I had known—and loved—for the past four years.
Alongside the emotional weight of leaving, there was also the pressure of entering the “real world.” Unlike many of my peers, I was fortunate enough to already have a job offer. In March of my senior year, a company I had previously interned with offered me a full-time position in social media and marketing management. It was everything I had hoped for in a first job—creative, exciting, and aligned with my career goals.
At the time, I felt ahead of the curve. I didn’t have to go through the stressful job-hunting process that many others were just beginning. But despite landing the job, I quickly realized that no one had prepared me for the transition from college life to adult life.
Letting Go Was Harder Than I Thought
I wasn’t ready to leave college behind. I vividly remember standing outside my rundown, half-painted apartment in Newport, Rhode Island, crying with my best friend. We were both moving back in with our parents to save money, and I was just days away from starting my full-time job. I cried the entire car ride home, heartbroken that the best days of my life so far were officially behind me.
That first transition into a full-time job was jarring. My closest friends were no longer a room away—they were scattered across cities, busy with their own lives and packed schedules. Coordinating a simple weekend hangout became an exercise in patience and planning.
In college, long weekends, flexible class schedules, and spontaneous beach trips were the norm. I worked hard in school, but I also had the freedom to travel, relax, and spend quality time with loved ones. Post-grad life, however, felt like a constant race against the clock. I now use a calendar not only for meetings and deadlines, but also to schedule dinner with friends or a rare weekend getaway.
I Wasn’t Ready for “Adulting” Either
Beyond the emotional challenges, there was the practical reality of adulthood. I had no idea how to navigate PTO, taxes, retirement planning, or student loans. Signing up for benefits, choosing the right 401(k) contribution, or understanding how loan interest worked—all of it was foreign to me.
A quick Google search or call to my parents helped, but I often felt lost and overwhelmed. For example, filling out tax documents like a W-4 (not even knowing what a W-9 was for at the time) felt like guessing on a pop quiz. I wish someone had walked us through these things in school—what deductions to take, how to budget for monthly expenses, or how to make a student loan repayment plan.
I’m Still Adjusting—And That’s Okay
Don’t get me wrong—I genuinely enjoy my job. I’m grateful to be working in a field I love and to have been given such an opportunity right out of college. But if I had the chance to go back to those college years, I would take it in a heartbeat.
People often say, “That’s life. Grow up. College is over.” But that kind of thinking dismisses what many of us go through after graduation. It’s not just about leaving a campus—it’s about letting go of a lifestyle, a community, and a version of yourself. I’m not being dramatic—I’m grieving a chapter that meant everything to me.
The transition into adulthood can be abrupt, lonely, and overwhelming. I just wish I had been more prepared for it.