Post-Graduate Life (Part One)

Last week my uncle paid me twenty bucks to put his clothes in the dryer at the laundry mat. The task was extremely simple but I have made it my duty this summer to lay very low around my apartment building. I made sure to wear nothing that brought attention to myself. My outfit consisted of my Penn State cap, shorts and a purple t-shirt. I even put my glasses on in hopes that no one would recognize me and ask me questions regarding my current status as a college graduate. What it all balled down to was that I was ashamed I couldn’t give the answer of greatness and success they expected of someone who now possessed a degree. Nonetheless my attempt at being incognito desperately failed. I was stopped by three people and bombarded with the following questions:

(1) You graduated right?

(2) So what are you doing now?

(3) Did you find a job yet

(4) So what have you been doing with your summer

And they also couldn’t help but to put their input so their comments consisted of:

(A) Don’t wait too long to be out of school you won’t go back

(B) A job will come…don’t worry

(C) Good Luck!

Blah!!! Unlike most people I was not excited about graduation nor was I excited about leaving Penn State for good. I knew that with graduating from a Big Ten university would come the stress of repaying thousands of dollars in loans and the pressure of finding a great job because I possessed a degree. College is a safety net, for a lot of people whether you’re aware of it or not. As I think back to the last four years of being in school this pressure was bound to come. Every time someone (especially an elder) asked you what you were doing with your life and you responded you were in school people practically praised you and placed you on an invisible pedestal towards greatness. As alum, the vacation is over and the real work has begun. Life has just become real and if other people can see our greatness then why cant we?
 In the midst of walking to the laundry mat and being stopped by one of the three people I mentioned earlier, I noticed that the enthusiasm that this woman showed me about my accomplishments opened my eyes to the situation a hand. Why was I avoiding people and their questions about what I was doing with my life after college? Why should I be ashamed that I just completed four years of college as an African American female from Brooklyn when there were so many people who could only dream to achieve what I did. When did I ever take the time to congratulate myself on my achievements as opposed to being hard on myself for being unemployed? I only been out of school for two and a half months. Although my biggest fear is complacency after coming this far but I know that my drive, determination and faith in God will pull me through. Something will come, even if I have to start from the bottom up.

Despite the hardships of life after college I can honestly say that this summer has been great to me. I have been able to live and breathe without a deadline vastly approaching or a report due. I am able to express myself creatively whether its making funky earrings or scanning magazines to create a collage. I’ve finally tried Rasta Pasta which was orgasmic; I also went to the first Saturdays at the Brooklyn museum and had an amazing time. I’m living life and doing the things that make me happy and to me that’s what life after graduation is all about; Getting inspired so you can figure out exactly what your next move should be.