With convocation and graduation ceremonies in full swing across the region, many UW graduates have been preparing to walk the stage as their family and friends watch in the audience. Excitement is in the air. Graduating and receiving your university degree is a significant accomplishment. Yet, the uncertainty of what the future holds and perhaps the longing to remain in the same environment we’ve grown accustomed to after four or more years, are equally real fears that can intertwine with the sense of celebration we may feel encouraged to feel. How can you feel confident and content with change as this chapter ends and another is soon to begin?
Acknowledging Change
Change is a fact of life and accepting this fact is not easy. One truth worth remembering is that although your employment or location is likely to change as time passes, know that the things you love, the hobbies you enjoy, the people you care about – these passions are not lost upon graduation. If you are passionate about fitness or a specific sport, regardless of whether you are a varsity athlete or simply enjoy going for a workout after class – keep practicing those activities that bring joy into your life. Sports and the joy of physical activity, for example, are not lost once you are no longer a student. Countless adult leagues, competitive programs, and training groups exist for young adults. Especially when navigating change, such as a new job or when moving to a new city, make time for familiar activities that you enjoy. You can learn to acknowledge and thrive through change by staying involved in activities that remind you of who you are and what you care about.
Quick tips to staying well post-graduation
Let’s consider some ways to stay motivated and hopeful as you cross this threshold and move toward the next chapter of your life:
1. Recognize what you’ve accomplished – and what it took to get here
Graduating from university is a major milestone. Yet, it’s not just about walking a stage or picking up a diploma. Take the time today to reflect on your first year and the years that followed. How have you grown and changed? What clubs did you join, what kind of people left a meaningful mark on you? What’s something you learned about yourself over these past few years you never realized? How can you use the skills and resilience you developed to make it here, as you enter your next endeavour?
2. Stay connected to people you care about
As we move away from old roommates or the company of peers in residence dorms and no longer attend lectures where we engage with other students, it becomes critical to find ways to keep yourself socially engaged in meaningful relationships. Spend time with your family, laugh about the craziest moments in your university career, and hang out with the friends you’ve made at university. Consider making a group chat with close university friends, as a way to stay connected, especially if some of you will be moving further away.
3. See the value of every moment
When one moment or time in life comes to a close, it becomes so easy for many of us to want to speed right into the next moment. Yet, when we long to quicken the pace of our lives and rush into the next stage of life, we miss out on recognizing the value of the moments that precede the next one. Consider practicing meditation or daily journaling as a way to guide yourself back to the present moment. Keep in mind that there’ll never be a moment exactly like this. We need not beg for the next moment to take this one away. This moment, like every other in your past, continues to guide the outcome of your heart and life.
A new chapter begins
If there’s one last sentiment new graduates can keep in mind, it’s to seek what is beautiful in this world, what reminds you of the best within you and within others. As you navigate changing career paths, new relationships, and calling new cities or even countries, your home, when you take the time to notice the little moments of beauty in life, you might begin to see those moments aren’t so insignificant. You just might begin to find beauty and hope have always been closer than you thought they could be. On days when you struggle to land a new career or long to return to days of lectures and the shared struggle of exam season, remember that while not every moment post-graduation will feel meaningful, future moments will. So, whether you feel excited or nervous, be gentle with yourself. It is the same one that will guide you towards the ones where you can smile genuinely, laugh freely, and live fully.
