My parents and grandmother attended my graduation after driving five and a half hours from my hometown to the city where I studied.
It was a big deal — not so much for a 320-mile journey, which was considered a long way in my native UK — but because I was the first member of our family to get a degree.
I’ll always remember their proud, smiling faces when I walked onto the stage in my cap and gown and received my certificate from the chancellor.
We posed for photographs on the lawn and enjoyed casual drinks with my professors.
I instantly started missing my friends
But, less than 24 hours later, I cried silently in the back seat of the car, my worldly possessions in the trunk. I turned my head toward the window so my grandmother couldn’t see my tears.
Most of the sadness stemmed from already missing the friends I’d made over the previous three years.
A handful remained in the city because they’d found a job nearby, and a few enrolled in a master’s program.
I felt a growing sense of anxiety and was scared of the unknown
My closest friends, however, had scattered across the country, whether they were working in big places like London or returning home like me.
But, along with the sorrow, I felt a growing sense of anxiety. I was scared of the unknown. How would I manage without the hustle and bustle of college and the formal structure of classes?
I knocked some sense into myself and tried not to be so pessimistic. But the harsh reality of becoming an adult who had to stand on their own two feet was even worse than I’d imagined.
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I didn’t have a job to go to. I was hoping to become a journalist, but it was a competitive profession, and a paid position seemed out of reach.
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I was entitled to unemployment benefits, but it was humiliating to stand in line in the so-called “dole queue” to pick up my money.
Thankfully, that depressing episode was short-lived because I got occasional work as a waitress and a shop assistant. But the hours weren’t regular, and I earned barely minimum wage.
I got some job interviews
There were days when I sat in my childhood bedroom and thought that I’d come full circle without achieving much. I’d gone from leaving home with high hopes for the future to returning to the same place. It was one of the worst times in my life because I felt rudderless and lost.
Things looked up when I began to stay with my older sister and her roommate at their apartment.
Then, to my relief, I secured a couple of interviews for trainee reporter roles. One was based 70 miles from my hometown.
I felt more optimistic after I got a full-time job
The editor in chief offered me a week’s work experience to see how I coped. It was nerve-wracking, but I managed to get the job.
Dad drove me to my new lodgings. This time, I didn’t cry on the way.
Do you have a story about life after college? Please email Jane Ridley at [email protected]
