Enjoy college while you can. I graduated in 2017–7 months ago–and over the past few months I have sadly realized that the best four years of my life are over and it’s going downhill. I have a good job at a Big 4 accounting firm and I’m happy with the profession I chose, but it’s just not the same; I can’t deny the fact that life is just less fun. College was magical and I had free time to do stuff. Now I can barely find a one hour slot of time to book a haircut. I still have a good social life, but people become lame after they graduate. Everyone’s getting serious girlfriends, getting engaged, etc. There are no more big parties with 150 people. More like your 12 friends getting together on New Years Eve. There are no more crazy adventures like study abroad, etc; you get your 3 weeks vacation and good luck affording anything fancy until well in your career. I just wanted to stop by and say enjoy it while you can, because I’ve felt a little down thinking about it lately.
I get it, I felt the same way 25 years ago. But there are lots of things to look forward too, they are just not instantaneous. Be grateful you are working in your chosen career, there are many graduates who aren’t. 3 weeks vacation? That’s awesome for a starting job.
@ChattaChia I am very grateful and I am very happy with my job. I’m just saying that there is a significant slump in quality of life of a college graduate entering the working world, at least in my experience. Just the whole idea that my life used to be better and more fun and now it’s worse has been nagging at me lately
Having 12 friends getting together for new year seems so much more interesting and fun than a party of 150! Lol
Enjoy ur youth!
@makemesmart you mean the few years that are left of it. I’m getting old at an alarming rate these days
I promise you, this is fleeting. There are so many things about life after college that are great, just wait and see. It just comes a little slower and in a totally different style than what you experienced. It’s tough going from carefree to responsibility. Sure there was studying, but college really is the best most carefree time of your life until…I got married, and the joy of my first child…well there’s nothing like that. I know what I did 6 months out when I felt like you are feeling…I went back to grad school part time at night…it helped me make friends outside work in the new city I lived in. Just find some things to get involved with…it’ll all work out.
Big 4 is demanding. I know because I did it. When you move on outside Big 4 in a few years, your work life balance will improve. Hang in there.
I really hope these are not the best 4 years of my life
You can go to grad school to recover your youth. It works for a couple of years, then you look around and your friends are married and starting to have kids and buying houses–which all sounded so restrictive and dead-end when you were 23, but now at 26-27, you’re starting to feel as if you should really be getting on with things…
Life is going to happen to you, there’s no getting around it. I would say make the best of each stage and enjoy it while it’s happening.
I remember feeling the same way when I graduated “a hundred years ago.” I think this is why many feel college was the best four years of our life.
Wow, you’re 22 and the best part of your life is over?? How incredibly sad.
I’m 59, married to a wonderful man, with 3 wonderful kids and a job I love. We’re going back to Disney World in July. My mom is still healthy at 87, and I’m close to all my siblings. I have a core group of friends I know I can count on in any sort of difficulty.
So many wonderful parts of life still to come.
I found not having summers off to be the most difficult adjustment after college.
When I finished grad school, I didn’t know what to do with myself and all the free time. (I had been working full time and going to school in the evenings.) I started taking Leisure Learning general interest short courses - landscape design, auto repair, grant writing, etc. Later, I started traveling heavily for work and then my husband and I had three children – great joy and big changes. I’m looking forward to taking classes again once my nest is empty.
Enjoy every phase of your life. You will be surprised how fast 30-40 years goes by.
Some folks loved high school and had trouble changing gears into college mode, but you won college and are buried in the early career years. Wait until you’re sitting home alone with a sleeping 3 month old, the new baby excitement has turned into a pile of nasty laundry and you can’t get away to take that long weekend in NYC: this Let’s Go To Dinner And A Show freedom of your 20s will look pretty sweet. (See also: New Homeowner Poverty.) Just as any phase can be a disappointment after the awesome previous one, every phase can be the best one yet. It’s an attitude thing. Find the silver lining and keep it on the outside.
Yeah, I agree - this isn’t college vs. post-college life, this is very busy professional life vs…not. I’m celebrating my 10 year college reunion this year, and I have a good job at a top tech company that isn’t nearly as demanding as life at a Big 4 accounting firm or management consulting company. I love my life - IMO, my current lifestyle at 31 is more fun than college. I certainly have more money!
The stuff you liked in college doesn’t have to stop. If you’re in a big city, especially, there are still big parties with 150 people (lots of bars and clubs! Go make friends with a party promoter). I went to big parties in my first couple years of grad school. You can still get into crazy adventures if you save your money and plan - I have lots of friends who in their early 20s traveled far and wide on a shoestring budget. Or they made the conscious decision to travel after college - they took jobs that supported their wanderlust (aka jobs that demanded only 35-40 hours a week and lived with roommates to they could afford their jaunts). I know people who do extreme sports, who travel 3-4 times a year to exotic places, who take classes and learn something new all the time…
Also, a strange thing starts to happen to you somewhere between 25 and 30 (age depends on the person). The stuff that seems boring and lame to you at 21 suddenly looks really good - comforting and enjoyable, actually. I much prefer my 12 friends on New Year’s Eve, and there’s a fun celebration when my friends get married and have children (most of us are past the “get married” phase and are well into the “have children” phase, heh). We get together with all of the children we have between us and chill and talk and laugh and play games and…it’s a good time. It’s certainly different from college, but it’s pretty wonderful IMO!
When I first started working a serious job, I was miserable too. Until I ended up getting an every-other weekend summer share in a beach house with a bunch of other 20-somethings and then n the winter I did a ski house. The parties at both places were great, and I’ve retained those friendships for more than 20 years now. I only did every-other weekend because that’s all the time I could get off, but it was worth it.
The best four years of my life all happened after I left college. I have had several sets of four great years. I think you might consider finding a less stressful job.