College Graduation: Living without a Net!

Taking those first steps into the “real world” can be an anxious time for college graduates. The thrill of achievement can be overwhelmed by new responsibilities as collegiates take their first fledging steps into adulthood. Finding a job, renting an apartment, managing finances, moving away from friends and family — college graduation is a time of many life-changing events. While many collegiates will have already shouldered some of these adult responsibilities, most have done so with a parental safety net in place to protect them from the inevitable misstep. Now that they’ve graduated, they’re living without a net for the first time.

Stepping out into the real world and taking on adult responsibilities is exciting, but it can also be a little scary and intimidating. The uncertain economy and high unemployment rate only add to the normal anxiety that surround the monumental changes that follow college graduation.

“Change can be frightening, but it is important to remember that it happens to everyone all the time,” psychologist Dr. David Palmiter said in an article on the American Psychological Association’s online Help Center. “Know that the new experiences and challenges you face will help you grow and discover your own path.”

The APA offers several tips for coping with post-graduation anxiety:

• Act. Taking action is empowering. Set goals, determine the steps necessary to achieve them, and get started!
• Attitude. Stay positive. Focus on what you can do and what you have to offer. Banish negative thinking.
• Resilience. Life has its ups and downs. Strive to turn negative experiences into opportunities to learn and improve.
• Connect. Stay connected to friends, family and professors. Turn to your support system when you need help or guidance.
• Discover. Take advantage of new opportunities, new friendships and new experiences to expand your horizons and discover all that you are and can be.

If the strain of moving out on your own starts to interfere with your ability to perform daily tasks or you find it hard to face your responsibilities, don’t be afraid to ask for help from a licensed psychiatrist. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help you develop positive strategies to tackle the responsibilities of adulthood and move forward with your life.