The Reality of Post-Grad in a Pandemic

No one tells you what post-grad life is like. 

And, of course, no one tells you what post-grad life is like during a pandemic. 

When I got the email back in March about classes being temporarily moved online, I didn’t know how to feel or what to expect. I was sitting at lunch with my best friends, enjoying our last full day of spring break, and suddenly we were interrupted by hundreds of texts from various group chats trying to figure out how we would be able to celebrate our remaining months as undergrads. While the email said we’d be back on campus in just a few weeks, we knew that wasn’t the case. 

Not even a week later, we got another email saying that the remainder of the semester would be moved online and that students were discouraged from returning to campus. 

I, and all of my friends and classmates, were crushed. 

Of course, I had to recognize the scale of what was going on in the country, and the world, and accept the fact that this move to online learning was the safest thing to do. But, as a 22-year-old, with only a few more weeks of college, THIS was the worst thing that could’ve happened. 

Before we left for spring break, I was already mentally preparing myself for what life would be like after graduating. I would be moving back home for about a year, securing a full-time job in Philadelphia, and reconnecting with all my friends in the area. However, I would also have to adjust to not living in my own apartment with three roommates, not being secluded on a college campus in the middle of Pennsylvania, and I wouldn’t have the routine I was so accustomed to for four years. Needless to say, I was feeling like I would be a bit lost and wasn’t ready to accept I was about to enter the “real world.” 

Enter: a global pandemic. Not only did I move back home a few months earlier than expected, I was also thrown into an insecure job market, my friends were scattered across the country (and even the world), and I basically couldn’t see anyone. It was just me, my laptop, and my childhood bedroom ready to take on the world. 

So, with the already developed mindset of not knowing how to navigate a “normal” post-grad life, I now had no idea of how to navigate this post-grad life in the middle of a pandemic. There’s no denying that these last few months have been tough for various reasons, but I’ve tried to make the most of them. 

Had this been life pre-COVID, would things have been different? Maybe, but there’s no sense in thinking about the “what ifs” or “what could’ve beens” because this life we’re living is one that no one ever saw coming. 

Now, with nearly three months of post-grad under my belt, I can definitely say that it’s been a whirlwind. I’m grateful that I’m able to comfortably live at home for the next year, surrounded by friends and family, as I continue my search for full-time opportunities. I’m also grateful that I’ve had some much needed downtime; four years of undergrad can really burn a person out. While things are still weird in the world, I know that what’s meant me for will come to fruition sooner rather than later.