Graduating College

Bid Adieu to Your Alma Mater

Congratulations on your graduation! As you pack up the last of your things and say goodbye to the place you’ve called home for the last four years, remember that you are responsible for your academic success!

It’s normal to feel nervous after graduation; you’re ending a very long, important chapter of your life, and this milestone signifies the end of your identity as a youth. This is the point where you take your official step into adulthood, but you may not be sure which direction those steps should head.

Within the next 30 days, you’re going to go through a type of emotional development brought about by a change in location, a change in your support system and a change in your social status. You’re going to search for—and hopefully find—a job that suits and satisfies your professional and personal skills. If you’ve already secured a job, you’re going to start working full-time, and that adjustment will be new, exciting and somewhat difficult.

As one element of your new support system, the First 30 Days will help you through all your new beginnings!

Today, take some time to think about your goals for the next 30 days and beyond. Ask yourself, “Am I planning for the next few months, the next year, the next five years?” Make a list of your goals for this new phase in life and set a timeframe for reaching them. This will outline a clear path for the months ahead.

DID YOU KNOW? The National Center for Education Statistics reports that the income differential between high school graduates and college graduates is widening, with college graduates earning as much as 60% to 69% more on average. So you’re part of a growing—and lucrative—trend!