Sep 10 2014
Life After College

Last week I wrote a post about a lesson I learned post college. In typical LOLZ fashion, I always have more to say. I learned a lot of other things post college too.  Since I like to keep it short and most students have actually started college, I decided to limit myself to five things.

1. While you can still wear leggings and sweats outside of your house post college, you will probably be carded for lottery tickets…it’s probably time to sell those baggy butt sweats on eBay.

Here is a picture of me in college in purple leggings.
Here is a picture of me in college in purple leggings.  (around 4 years ago)
Here is a photo of me in leggings this year. I look the same.
Here is a photo of me in leggings this year. I look the same.

2. Kids these days!  I find myself saying “back in my day” and I “I remember college…”.  Well back in my day those young whipper snappers didn’t wear those bare midriff tops to class and hooker heels.  High schoolers wearing open back prom dresses like it’s no big deal.  DadLOLZ still doesn’t approve when I leave the house with too much makeup.  I find myself so judgmental and the youth and their crazy outfits.  Kesha wasn’t joking when she sings the song Crazy Kids.  Except I think Kesha is my age.

Those kids in their bare midriff clothing...
Those kids in their bare midriff clothing…
My prom dress. #socovered
My prom dress. #socovered

3. 9pm bedtime…living in a judge free zone. No one cares if you say, well kids it’s 9pm and my old lady senses are tingling. Time for bed.  This is actually my favorite part about being out of college.

4. Similarly I wake up earlier than I did in college (and enjoy it). The morning and stillness is a beautiful thing.

5. I often miss the structure of having classes and things to do.  Although at the same time, I don’t mind coming home and not having to work.  I think I have more free time than college (and in colelge I had more free time than high school).

Questions for you:

What is one thing you’ve learned post college?

If you are in college now, what do you enjoy the most?

I enjoyed seeing my friends everyday.   Is that not like the most typical school kid answer ever?

 

Hollie 23 Comments
Jun 27 2013
Post College Lessons

I have been away from the college scene (though when I was really in it) for about a year now.  When I left and graduated college I thought my life would be pretty much figured out.

I didn’t want to go to grad school…so I’d get a job…back in VA…maybe…just not upstate NY.  Well here it is, a year later and I finally left New York state.  It took a while and I absolutely loved my job but that is not what this post is about.

It’s about what I have learned in my year away from college and taking courses.  Yes, I worked at a college but I wasn’t sitting in lecture halls and going to class anymore…I was…on the other side.  (complete with my own faculty parking pass)

For starters, when you graduate everyone is nervous.

 You are not alone. 

You are not a failure. 

You will not have the flexibility of college classes.

You will not have yourself together.  (I know I still don’t).

Take a deep step back and say “Am I truly happy?”.  For me, it isn’t that I despise New York State or am miserable.  It’s the fact that I right now I have the flexibility to move somewhere that makes me happy and look for a job.  I’m not gridlocked into a contract and why search and apply for a job in NY when I know I would be happier somewhere else.  The key word is happier.

Unless you are going STRAIGHT into grad school…you probably have no idea what you are going to do and have not secured a full time dream job.  (I haven’t and I fully admit that I’m living with my parents at glorious age 22 for a while I continue my quest.)

I can’t give you any advice because I certainly don’t have the credentials to do that but I’m currently applying and looking everywhere.  You never know who can help you when and I never realized the power of networking until now.

The thought of graduating college is so overwealming (and honestly it still is for me too) but just know you are not alone.  Your friends are stressed and worried about full time careers just as much as you are.

Questions for you:

What did you learn post college?

If you are in college, what are your plans afterwards?

Hollie 32 Comments
Feb 15 2013
Unprepared for College Part 2

Last Friday I posted an infographic about high school students not being prepared for college.  There were a lot of responses…some people agreed…some people didn’t.  Some people felt as though their high school prepared them enough and they easily graduated college (go you guys!) and some people felt they could have been more prepared. 

I just wanted to follow up with that one because it sparked a lot of commentary.  One of the main themes that people chattered about was that college is NOT for everyone (which I 100% agree with).

There are many jobs that do not need or require college.  We NEED people to do these jobs in society just as we need people to do college based jobs as well.  Without having all types of jobs, our society will fail to exist.   It is not possible for everyone is our society to go to college because of expenses or because of job opportunities in such fields.  Not everyone in this world can or needs to be a doctor or something that requires an extensive amount of schooling.

Let me give you an example that I’ve had a VERY hard time putting out there.  I don’t want to go to graduate school.  Not in the slightest, it doesn’t interest me and I could honestly go the rest of my life without going.  I don’t feel like I need too either.  The amount I have been told oh you’ll change your mind.  You’ll want to eventually is not only sad but obnoxious.  It’s almost as if it’s expected to go to college, graduate and then go to grad school in the culture I’m living in.  Graduating college for me, was A HUGE DEAL.  A HUGE DEAL.  I’m not belittling it, I’m not saying it was easy.  I’m not saying by any means that I got perfect grades (does it seem like a lot of graduates say that?) I’m saying I worked my butt off to get through college, had a good time and graduated.  I learned a lot in my studies but also about myself.

I changed (read about that here) majors after my junior year of college.  It took me three years to realize that math education was not for me.

A lot of people take college for granted…oh I was supposed to graduate college, it’s frowned upon in my family if we don’t…wasn’t bad… then they look at the infographic and they wonder…well why didn’t the other 46% of people who started college graduate.  When your parents are paying for it, you don’t realize that college is very expensive.

Question for you: Talk to me about your college thoughts. 

Hollie 62 Comments
May 17 2012
Senior Year Throwback

It seems like almost yesterday that I began my college quest.  Maybe it was because I’ve been doing this series of college blogs all week.  It’s like I got to relive my youth again…

Moving on.

Senior year, oh senior year. 

Most ya’ll have traveled this path with me.  (My blog is nearly a toddler at two!?)

Filled with running highs.

Running lows.

eh beginning of senior year. ie: stress fracture.

Quitting swimming.

but still going to the swimming formal the day after… (and remaining close with the team!)

Narrowing my focus of my major to nutrition and wellness with college students.

Meeting new people…

All in all, I would say this has been a fabulous year.  My last year of college, I learned that you really aren’t going to make everyone happy and you need to put yourself before other people.  You cannot allow people to walk all over you.

From my schooling, I learned that not everyone will like you, your writing style, your personality…whatever.  You have to deal with it, maybe change your objectives and move on.  I had a very tough course that I chose to just drop hints about.  I’m a relatively good student but in that particular course, I was JUST hoping to snag a 2.0 and pass it.  It wasn’t that I didn’t spend time on that class, as you heard me complaining about the 50 page paper I had to write…but these happen.

Question for you:

1.       What did you learn senior year?

2.       Have you ever had to work with someone you just didn’t mesh well with? 

Hollie 11 Comments
May 15 2012
Sophomore Year Depression and New Beginnings

Sophomore year was a very challenging year for me. Though I don’t mention it often because there hasn’t been any real reason or need, I was severely depressed going into it. I didn’t want to go back to school.  I had had a lot of medical problems that brought me really close with my parents and it was VERY hard for me to leave.  (unrelated to anything…and no before you ask, it had nothing to do with food or an an eating disorder either…).  I was about 90% away from going to the local college near my house.

My family drove to visit me several times (and yes that is about 12 hours). We went to Niagara Falls too!

But I made it through.  When I say the first couple of weeks were rough, I cried (for no reason) in my room daily.   My boyfriend at the time, was very good to me and really helped me through that part of my life.  I’ll never be able to thank him enough because I know I was a tad off.  This was probably the hardest few months of my life.  I was never homesick freshman year, but sophomore year was a big culture shock.  

Kierstin and I (my freshman roommate) remained close!

So first, I learned that you must put yourself first.  The nurses recommended that I move out of my room because I was severely depressed into somewhere where I could have my own personal space (I’m still pretty close with my two week sophomore roomie and she def understood!) .  I actually ended up moving into a single in a suite with an RA, Jackie, who I love to death (I’m actually going to her wedding in June!).

Suitemate love (Jackie is in the brown), Rachel is in the flowery dress.

Second, with the right network of friends, you can make it through anything you put your mind too.  After my medical problems had simmered and
I had gotten the right medications to handle them, I slowly began to readjust to college life.   Once I didn’t have to worry about them-I just became a lot happier again.  

Coincidently, this was also my best year of collage swimming and I moved up the ranks to the top female distance swimmer on our team.  (For this year only).

underwater shot at our championship meet! Who doesn’t love those?

Finally, your interests change and I found that out when I ran my *first* road race that I quite enjoyed and it all lead to my running spiral.  As well as starting to paint to relieve stress.  (For me, exercise does NOT relieve stress like painting does).  

Question for you: What did you learn sophomore year of college (high school)? 

Hollie 19 Comments
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