*Note: This was originally published in 2021 on my former website.
What you’re feeling is real but temporary. You still have time to accomplish all your goals.
During the first few months after graduation, I remembered feeling so free and on top of the world for accomplishing something so major in my life, but when September came around, it was a different story.
In September, I kept seeing back-to-school ads everywhere. I kept seeing friends uploading Instagram posts about starting a new school term along with their OOTD (outfit of the day). My little brother was entering sixth grade and was also getting excited about going back to school. This naturally lead me to start missing everything about university. I missed studying my days away every week. I missed seeing my friends on campus, and I even missed my 8am classes! I had anticipated that I would be feeling a big case of post-grad depression, so I planned a week-long trip with my sister to Vancouver and it helped somewhat. I still had post-grad depression when I came back.
When November came around, the post-grad depression hit harder as I started doubting my plan about taking a break after graduation.
Should I have tried to find a job right away after graduation like everyone else? I was in a funk that month even though the previous month (October), I had accomplished getting into a program that would help me get into an internship in Asia (which unfortunately didn’t work out).
Although I occasionally still feel the post-grad depression after a year out of school, I’ve gotten better at dealing with it. I continue to remind myself that I’m on my own journey and that I shouldn’t compare it to another person’s journey. There are still days where I overthink the decisions I’ve made, but they’re becoming smaller and smaller as I learn to accept them and move on with my life.
Yes, post-grad depression is hard, but it’s natural that it happens. After accomplishing something huge like graduating and being used to a certain way of living for a number of years, not going to school is jarring.
From the videos and blogs, I’ve read on the internet about post-grad depression, it seems that everyone is looking at it negatively, which is completely understandable! Like I said, it’s jarring to suddenly be in school and then not be.
It’s completely fine to feel depressed after graduation, but remember that this feeling is real and valid but also temporary, you won’t be feeling like this forever.
As a new grad, you still have time to accomplish all the things you want to do, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Take it from — a former high achieving and anxiety ridden student who took a year off after graduating university because she wanted to celebrate the fact she accomplished a huge milestone and now feels that she’s ready to take on whatever is headed her way.
Trish types away 