Post-graduate anxiety happens to most students done with high school, but especially those done with university. It is a feeling of constantly being worried and fearful about the future.
That feeling can be caused or escalated by a lack of support, fear of failure if the graduate is unable to find work in their area of specialty, among other factors.
Jean Bosco Benimana a student at Mount Kenya University says that the reason students get post-graduation anxiety is, thinking that everything is going to be smooth after, yet this isn’t always the case.
"When students are graduating, they always think that the world they are going in is different from the one they were in and better. They don’t expect that that new world might be challenging, they view it from afar and think it is the best world, and when they get into it, because they didn’t prepare for it and know nothing about it, they get anxious,” Benimana says.
Eliane Iradukunda, a high school graduate, says this anxiety also happens because students tend to compare and then blame themselves for not doing better, and so end up getting anxious.
"We also fail to acknowledge that there will be challenges and obstacles as we get to the future, and that is why we end up getting anxious and stressed about what’s next,” she says.
According to an article in The Washington Post, an American online publication, post-graduation depression, therapists say, is understudied and probably underreported. "Young adulthood isn’t a population that is well studied at all. From a research perspective, it’s hard to categorise them,” said Sheryl Ziegler, a Colorado psychologist and licensed professional counsellor who has many young clients.
Symptoms of post-graduation anxiety
According to different online blogs, there are common symptoms for post-graduation anxiety that every graduate experiences:
Feeling constantly worried and fearful about the future
Feeling a lack of support after commencement
Feelings of failure if the new graduate is unable to find work in their area of specialty in a reasonable length of time
Experiencing shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, or shaking while at rest
Not feeling in control of one’s life and having a sense of powerlessness
Sleeplessness and irritability
Not wanting to go out or socialise or withdrawing from normal everyday activities
Numbing feelings with alcohol, recreational drugs, or overeating.
How to overcome post-graduation anxiety
Give yourself Grace
Take a minute to breathe and think about what you’ve just accomplished.
As soon as you graduate from college, it’s super easy to obsess over your "five-year plan”, or perhaps the fact that you don’t have a plan in place at all. Before you start worrying about where you want to be in the next five years, focus on the fact that you’ve just graduated from college—an accomplishment, in and of itself!
Stop comparing yourself to others
One of the biggest lessons you’ll learn after college is that every person will reach success at his or her own rate. Although you’ll have friends who excel in their careers faster than you, it’s important that you don’t compare yourself to others and their successes.
Invest in something you’re passionate about
As a college student, you probably didn’t have much time to do the things you truly love. If you’re passionate about cooking, painting, or even playing a sport, find a way to bring those hobbies back into your life. Investing yourself in your passions is a great way to re-energise and regain focus.
Start a new hobby outside of your comfort zone
On the other hand, if you’re struggling to find something you’re passionate about, explore a new interest. Whether it’s signing up for a hot yoga class or learning how to grow an herb garden or experimenting with new hobbies. Who knows, you might discover a new passion and make some new friends along the way!