Making the Transition from Student to Alumnus

College graduation is meant to be a time for celebration and well-deserved recognition of the all those long nights spent studying for next-day exams. But if you feel mixed emotions about entering the real world and surrendering your title as “student,” you certainly are not alone. Making the transition from student to alumnus can be saddening, confusing, and daunting for many graduating students. You may be traveling far away and making a new home for yourself upon accepting a job offer or you may have to say goodbye to good friends who are doing so. You could still be feeling overwhelmed with the pressure to find a job when many of your friends have already found one months ago. For most graduating students, graduation is not a time of solely positive feelings. Here are some tips to help you clear up some of the confusion you might feel upon entering the post-graduation world.

 

            Stay in touch with other recent alumni: 

      

      Keep in contact with friends who are moving away. They are bound to have similar feelings to you regarding the transition into the alumni world. Keep up to date with friends on social networks. Try to schedule a weekend to meet up with them and revisit your favorite college spots. Life after graduation becomes very busy but finding time to see your college friends again is a great way to help you feel at home once again.

      Join an alumni network: 

      

      Now that you have graduated, you can join online alumni networks to meet valuable new connections and stay connected with former classmates. Alumni networks are great tools for meeting mentors to guide you down your desired career path. Many graduates find that they become close friends with former classmates that they had hardly known at all during their college years through alumni networks. Even if you end up far away from your college campus, there is still a great chance that you might find alumni nearby to connect with.

      Meet with former professors: 

      After graduation, forming meaningful relationships with professors becomes much more possible than it had been during your time as a student. Now you have the opportunity to become friends with your favorite professors. College professors are great people for recent graduates to seek for guidance as they have many years of experience in their field of work. They are most likely well-known by local industry leaders, so it could be hugely beneficial for you to be able to list a former professor as a reference or to receive a recommendation from one.

      Find time for enjoyment: 

For many college graduates, entering the post-graduation world can be stressful that they find it difficult to schedule time to relax. While it is easy to become caught up in the busyness of joining the work force, it is important to find time to do something you enjoy. Doing so will allow you to maintain sanity during this overwhelmingly stressful period of time.