Life after college is significantly different, says Troy recent graduate

By Chynna McKillion

Before I graduated from Troy, I felt like a deer in headlights.

When everyone asked me about my plans after college, I had no earthly idea. Here I was, about to step into the big, bad real world: I had no idea what came next.

Fortunately, it all fell into place about a week before graduation. I got a job at a local newspaper, and started my journey as an adult.

From what everyone had told me in college, I was expecting the world to be a cold, hard place that would chew you up and spit you out at a moment’s notice.

That is not true.

Professors constantly tell you that they are preparing you for the real world. However, in my reality, college is easier than the real world. In college, your professors own your free time. In the real world, it’s yours.

Besides a degree, the most important thing to get out of college is networking connections. Outside of academia, it is not about your GPA, it is about whom you know.

I was hired by my current employer because a friend recommended me. It is not fair, but that is how the job market is, unfortunately.

Moreover, it is crucial to get experience while you are in college. Upon graduation, having a blank resume is the worst thing you could do. Get out there, and get a job related to your major. You might get paid peanuts, but in the real world, experience is your golden ticket.

The last thing you need to get out of college is memories. Don’t just stay in your dorm room, get out there and meet people! Go to campus events, there is usually free stuff and you never know whom you will meet. College is the place where you meet lifelong friends.

Your college years will be full of happiness, sadness, triumph and defeat. When it all ends, you might be surprised how much you changed throughout it all.

Chynna McKillion is a multimedia journalism alumnus of Troy University. She currently works at the Southern Star in Ozark, AL.