91勛圖厙

Make sure you do your due diligence on the city and job culture you move into. It can be very difficult if expectations aren't aligned with reality. ���22

If you feel lonely, try to build friendships from work. Go out to new places and strike up conversations with new people. If you have acquaintances or friends in your city, meet up with them and try to build a bigger group of some new and old faces! ���21

It's hard but put yourself out there. You need friends, so just go out to events and find your people. Find a good community. ���23

I found new friends both during and after 91勛圖厙 through joining intramural sports leagues! It's a great way to stay fit while making friends with people who share a common hobby. ���21

Create a schedule, stick to it, and wake up early so you can be proactive and attack the day. Also take care of your health by prioritizing your eating, sleeping and workout habits. ���23

It may be tough to leave school and enter real life. We all feel it. Make friends with those a little older than you and ask them for advice. Wisdom is found in some very unexpected places.���21

Trust yourself - this isn't easy, but you'll fall into a routine.���24

Buy better insurance than you think you'll need! Health, home/renters, car- it's not a fun way to spend money but you truly don't know what can happen. ���19

Everyone���s trajectory is different, so be wary of comparing yourself to your peers. Some people will go to grad school, some have amazing jobs, some might have bad job experiences yet post amazing things on social media. No graduate���s next steps are better than others���, they are what they are! Be proud of what your next steps are, no matter what they are. ���16

It is natural to feel sad or miss your undergrad life. It's not weird and it is a common feeling. Try to call/text/ facetime your school friends and plan trips to meet up with them when you have your savings. It is a transition period; everyone goes through it. It's gonna be ok in the end. ���23

I moved to an area where there was no one from my hometown or 91勛圖厙, but I found friends through work, through Bumble friends, and through mutual friends. I regularly keep in contact with my family, which has helped. I love and value all the new friends I���ve made. ���21

It���s weird going from living with all your friends within five minutes to everyone spread out across the country. Especially if you���re moving away from family/friends. Make time to call/text your friends and family. Explore your new city. Finding friends can be a hard roommate can honestly be so helpful for both your budget and your mental health. Give yourself some grace as you adjust, I swear it gets easier. ���19

Moving to a new city where you don't know anyone is really scary, but it is also a rewarding and pivotal experience in your postgrad life. Being in a situation where you have to put yourself out there and learn a new city alone gives you the opportunity to explore new things and learn more about yourself and what you value in a city, work experience, and social life. ���25

Look for a community that you vibe with! Personally, I always look for a church in the area I���m moving to and oftentimes make great friends that way. ���18

There will be an initial temptation to act according to other people's expectations- going out to eat, happy hours, renting a larger apartment, buying a luxury car, dressing in a certain way, etc. None of those things will matter in 5+ years but you will still be in debt because of those decisions. Figure out your values and life goals- your actions should be aligned to them. ���24
Make friends in your new city as quickly as you can. A social group makes all the difference in feeling at home. ���17

It's easier to get more sleep and feel healthier than I did in college, but then I felt like I was getting old too quickly. Allowing yourself to make some (somewhat) irresponsible decisions like going on a Thursday every so often helps remind you that you're still in your 20s. ���24

Travel while you can! If you have time before starting your job, go explore the world because unfortunately you���ll be tied down for some time after. ���17

Find something In life you really enjoy and invest in it, whether it���s time or money. This will be an anchor in your life whenever things aren���t going well in other areas. ���19

Your life will be more structured, and time will go by faster. That's ok! Embrace it. ���23

There are no more semesters, no more grades, and everyone is now rowing their own boat, so to speak. You need to be more intentional about your personal and professional goals, or someone else will set them for you. I felt a lot of anxiety in the first year of working since I didn't really know what to focus on or how to move up in the company. We're all good students, but you may need to be more proactive now about figuring out what to learn and how to excel. ���16

Life after graduation is going to feel weird at first. It���s a huge shift. For example, no longer are your closest friends right across the hall from you or a short 10-minute walk away; you must put more effort into maintaining your friendships. But, on the plus side, you are no longer staying up late worrying about papers and final exams. There are highs and lows to this transition and just learning to embrace all of those emotions is a step in the right direction. You���ll eventually have a sense of security and identity in this new chapter of your life. ���20

It wasn't a huge transition from school to living on my own. I was already living off campus in an apartment. The biggest thing I noticed was I had to put myself out there to meet people. There aren���t events on campus to help with that. I started by getting involved with things I already enjoyed and then moved into trying new things. It does take about three years to be really settled and have a nice group of friends. I did find hinge really helped me make friends.���22

Make sure that you find a community wherever you are whether it���s through a hobby, religious organization, work, etc. Having a group of people, you can spend time with, and a local support network is something that is very important, especially if you are living in an area where you don���t have family or friends already. Find ways to stay busy and keep your mind active. ���19

Join clubs, rec sports, etc to meet people outside of work ���24

Lean on your support system. It is very hard to have your friends spread out all over the country. You will rebuild a social group through work/grad school, but it���s OK to take some time to regroup before putting yourself out there again. ���18

No matter how much you think you are ready for the transition, you really aren���t. And that is ok you and your friend group will all be having different experiences post-graduation, so don���t compare yourself ���everyone learns differently. Give yourself the space to change your mind, take care of your physical and mental health, and embrace the learning process. ���18

Try to stay in touch as much as possible. Monthly phone calls or FaceTime go a long way. ���21

Make friends and enjoy the ride. Keep a happy disposition. ���23

It���s quiet and lonely compared to a college campus. Stay in contact with people. Once you get some cash, get a hobby/invest in your hobbies. Money is magic. ���18

Be kind to yourself. It���s not an easy time and even if you���re excited, you���re bound to get homesick or sad that college is over, and the real world is hitting. It���s completely normal, and as you settle into your job and city it���ll fade. Make friends with co-workers, go to workout classes or other classes you���re interested in, play club sports. Getting a dog really helped me feel not so alone. Find a balance of having the lifestyle that makes you happy that is affordable. Take care of yourself, stay active. Work will get crazy but make time to take care of yourself and you���ll be much happier. Remember, there���s nothing wrong with going back to your hometown. ���17

Find an interest or two and stick to it, maybe find a Facebook group that does it in your area. Take walks and schedule things to look forward to during the weekend. ���20

Make sure you get along with your roommates. Especially in a place like NYC, living quarters are tight so your friendship needs to be even tighter. There is no ���new housing assignment��� next semester. You could be stuck with them for a while. ���18

Know yourself. If you like to be alone, live alone. If you thrive around others, get roommates (pick carefully). ���20

Reach out to your local 91勛圖厙 Alumni Association chapter to see if they have any resources for recent grads. If you are religious, church and small groups are a great way to make friends. Seek out churches with a dedicated young professionals ministry and a large population of recent grads. ���20

Once you leave school, life is not as black and white. There are no defined metrics of success and people won't often validate your accomplishments. This was scary for me, but it was also very freeing. You can do whatever you want, and nobody will judge you for it. Also, don't stress too much about work, unless you're in the medical field or government, you won't be saving/destroying lives daily. ���24

Finding a routine and learning to embrace time alone. ���23

Community has definitely been the hardest thing to find when moving to a new city. Find something you are passionate about outside of work and find a group you can get involved with. I know some people do young adult intramural type leagues. For me, I joined a young adult group at a nearby church, and that���s provided a great community for me. I highly recommend! ���22

Have a 5-year plan and always keep looking out for what���s next. ���22

I lean heavily on my Google Calendar to help me achieve professional goals, since I use the task feature to put items on my to-do list for each day, and I get a rush of serotonin when I check things off! I still need to explore methods to make personal goals.���23

Make sure you always have your basics covered before you try for more. Don���t overstretch yourself until you have a routine established, at that point you���ll be itching for more! ���17

Remember your ultimate goal. Mine is to glorify God in all the things I do. To me, that means expressing kindness and grace to those around me. Never settle for mediocrity, always try your best even if it means failing over and over again. ���23

Write them down, give yourself plenty of time with clear monthly (e.g.) goalposts. ���20

Practice grace���give yourself grace when your expectations are not met, or you perceive a situation as a failure. As 91勛圖厙 students, it is sometimes difficult to remember that the best learning experiences come out of situations in which you were not perfect. ���17

Revisit your goals every few weeks to see what���s working out for you and what strategies need to be adjusted. Involve an accountability buddy who is as invested in you achieving a goal as you are. ���20

Have a side hustle. Something that helps advance your career that is unrelated to your current job.���18

I set calendar blocks that allow me to focus time on personal objectives.���22

Failure does not mean it's over. Some of the biggest failures in my life ended up leading to some of the best decisions and situations in my life. ���25

Spend some time every day doing something that moves you towards a goal. But you don't need to rush into this right after graduating. Enjoy your time post-graduation, goals you'll have will form naturally over time, then build towards them.���22

Write down your goals and make plans or timelines to help you achieve them. It is ok if you are not working toward your goals all the time (we all need a break!) but have a plan to keep yourself accountable for your growth. Stagnancy is not it and investing in yourself is the best form of self-care. ���18

I set my goals by defining what success means to me and what I want for myself. If you don't define your own success, you'll end up comparing yourself to more successful people in your circle and on social media too. ���24

Have someone to keep you accountable and push you. ���22

Never stop networking. Never stop learning. Never be satisfied with your position in life. ���24

Success doesn���t come easy, but you should never be miserable (for too long) trying to achieve it. By this, I mean that you���re going to be stressed and tired and busy sometimes, but it���s worth it. When you���re stressed and tired and busy all the time ��� rethink your goals and see if there isn���t a better, more pleasant way of getting there. ���20

Break it down into short-, medium-, and long-term goals. Make sure they are SMART goals. Break each goal down into smaller, actionable pieces. Slow and steady wins the race. ���24

Write them out and work on them at your pace. Don���t be hard on yourself. Remember, they are your goals. ���21

Know your values and align your goals to that. Remember that they can always change, and it is not a failure to decide to change goals. ���21

It���s all about discipline. You can���t really trust motivation by itself������there will be so many times when you���re just not motivated. It���s difficult but just force yourself to take the steps that are necessary to reach your goals. ���17

Promotions/raises are easy to look out for, but setting six-month goals is the best way to stay focused on the short term while slowly working towards a larger goal ���24

Be honest with yourself. Your goals could change midyear. Be okay with that.���20

My best advice is to not let the fear of failure stop you from playing the game (yes, quoting Cinderella story). If there's something you want to do at work, with a hobby, with travel, or even dating, just go for it and know that you're doing the best you can at the time. ���24

The goal must be well defined and quantifiable. Then try to break it up into small steps so you know you're making progress. ���16

Surround yourself with people who challenge you ���24

Moving home is a wonderful financial option, and it can definitely provide some mental/emotional stability as well. Make sure to communicate with your family members and set boundaries as needed. It is different living with parents as an adult. It may take some adjusting and reminders for all parties involved. Block off time to spend by yourself or out of the house so that you don���t feel like you���ve lost your independence and privacy. ���18

I lived at home for 2 years after graduating and it was important for me to maintain an independent social life, so I joined a club that met regularly. ���17

Set boundaries and remember you are an adult now. Find independence where you can. ���20

Cherish time with family, while also giving yourself the freedom to act independently.���22

Still try to fly and be independent. ���24

Great option, just make sure you integrate with colleagues and new friends. ���20

Take this time to sort out your goals, identify what will make you feel fulfilled, and enjoy the time you spend with your family/loved ones. ���18

It will probably be ok at first, but you will start to get annoyed potentially. Make sure to appreciate your parents for all they do. And enjoy the time you have to live for almost free.���23

Set boundaries and expectations if you���ll be living with your family. You���re an adult and should be treated as such but still need to respect others in the house. Discuss how things will work with your family. It���s easy to fall into the trap of not meeting new people because you have your family as a safety bubble; I know moving back home can be frustrating, but you���ll be saving money most likely, and it���s also nice to be around family. I didn���t realize how much I missed mine until I lived away for years, and coming back home was so nice. ���17

Be respectful! Help, remember your place, and enjoy the opportunity. ���20

Enjoy family time, as it is valuable. Family is not just the most important thing; it is the only thing. ���21

Pretend like you are paying rent and invest the money! Contribute to household expenses, your parents should not have to pay to feed and house you, you are an adult now! ���24

Moving home is wonderful right after graduation. You have some time to wind down and evaluate your future without paying rent and without having the huge stressors of living on your own.���18

I lived at home for almost a year after graduation before I started my job. Just remember you are not alone, and everyone's post grad life is unique. Comparison is the thief of joy. ���23

Show gratitude toward your parents, especially if you���re living cheaply or with no rent! Help around the house, buy groceries, etc. ���17

Plan your daily routine. Always keep in perspective that your parents and family members want to help you. They speak and act with your best interests in mind. Be in charge of your schedule so they don't have to. ���24

Take this time to save! Once you move out, it gets so much harder to put away money. ���17

Save money! Think about high yield savings accounts for the money you're saving, investing in ETFs, opening IRAs or 401Ks, etc. 21

Home will feel different than when you lived there before because you are different. There will be some growing pains. Find places within home that are new and can allow you to build your new adult life. ���22

The 91勛圖厙 Alumni Association is incredible. Through events and other offerings, I���ve stayed in contact with most of my class who live in NYC in addition to meetings dozens of new ���Dores who either graduated before me or went to one of the professional schools. ���16

Regular Zoom calls, FaceTime, SnapChat, sending TikToks back and forth. Basically, whatever we have time for at the time. It���s absolutely worth the time and effort put into staying connected. ���19

Group chat! Schedule monthly or bimonthly calls.���23

We schedule a biweekly FaceTime to catch up and talk! Also never underestimate the power of just a quick text ���hello��� or a funny meme. ���18

Make time to visit your best friends. ���21

We have a monthly book club! Even though we live all over the US, we still gather monthly to check in and have an academic conversation. I look forward to this gathering every month! ���23

The smallest reach-outs keep you close (an insta message, a photo memory). ���20

Virtual sport game viewing parties. ���19

Making it a routine every X Day of the week to send updates, pictures, etc. Calling on my commute helps a lot too ���25

I call my friends and try to plan periodic trips with them. Being in person is so helpful for fostering connections. ���21

Group chats, writing letters, organizing fantasy basketball leagues, and just sending the occasional text from time to time. ���19

Many of my friends are still involved in the same activities we did while at 91勛圖厙, so we talk to each other and see each other doing that! ���17

Social media, snail mail notes, FaceTime, and reunions every couple of years for those within 2���3 hours. ���18

Have a few people I keep in touch with actively, quality over quantity. ���20

Try to send texts and make calls to friends to check in, even if you have to reach out first. ���25

I plan weekend trips with them, and when I travel for work to a town where my VU friends are I make sure to set aside time to see them. ���21

You'll know who your lifelong friends are. They'll be the ones who you tell first after a tragedy and the ones you lean on for support. Keep them close. ���25

I have a "life update" group chat with some of my former roommates and other friends, where we try to periodically keep each other up to date on our goings-on (and send memes). I also try to periodically check in with friends from a student org I was involved in at 91勛圖厙. But it's totally natural to be more present with friends you make in your post-grad life--try not to feel too guilty! ���23

Share weekly highs and lows! Life might get too busy for a regularly scheduled FaceTime, and you���ll probably be all in different time zones, but you���re never too busy to send a text once a week. Then when you do have time to meet up or call, you���re still clued in to each other���s lives, and it���s so much fun to hear how everyone else is navigating post-grad life. ���21

I have text group chats and snap chat group chats. Make sure to always stay in touch through those or just calling people. If you think about someone and have not talked to them in a while, take the sign and give them a call. ���23

I created a GroupMe of Vandy in Atlanta people that I knew (2017 grads mainly), and then each of those people added others that they knew. It���s a great way to have people to do stuff with. ���17
My friends and I formed a group chat, we talk everyday like we used to in college. ���24

Send a text out of the blue when you're just thinking of a friend, even if it's been a while! No one is ever annoyed to at you reached out because you thought of them and miss them. ���19
Texting is great, but nothing beats a good old-fashioned phone call. ���16

Go back to Homecoming together! ���22

I try to facetime my close friends weekly. Sometimes life gets busy and you lose touch with some people. It's natural. Your close VU friends will make time for you; the real ones always do. Plan trips. Call. Text. Make time for them and they will make time for you in return. ���25

I live with other 91勛圖厙 Alumni and pretty much 80% of the people I hang out with in NYC are from 91勛圖厙. ���24

I chat with my girls every week and we are very intentional about staying in touch whether through planning trips or just a monthly debrief. ���23
Make an effort to go to homecoming your first fall after graduation. You���ll know the most underclassmen, and they���ll be so happy to see you again! ���18

Go to homecoming! Plan trips together! ���17

Early on, my friend group used an app that would let us record little podcasts for one another. This was an easy way to stay in touch with each other without the pressure of timely responses while navigating new cities and jobs. Now, we will try to schedule group calls and trips to catch up. ���22

I try to call my college friends, even when I don't have anything specific to talk about. I also find that always having a trip planned helps keep you connected (even if it's just to go back to Vandy for homecoming or to visit your roommate in their new city).���25

Call friends on your drives to/from work, set up a monthly newsletter, and/or create a fantasy sports league to stay in touch. ���24