Introducing a new series: “Revelations” | CAROLINE luu
When people graduate, they tend to disappear. At least that’s what it seems. Once they post their graduation pictures on Instagram/Facebook/LinkedIn, it suddenly becomes difficult to track them. It’s as if they have moved to an Amish village where social media and texting is prohibited... I have wondered why this is in the several months prior to my graduation, only to quickly find the answer in the time that followed.
The transition into post-graduate life is enigmatic, simply because it is not what we expect. There is a huge disparity between what we hear about post-graduate life and the firsthand experience of living the post-graduate life. Graduating from college is a glorified event as well as a rite of passage into adulthood. As people emphasize the grand liberation of their newfound freedom, they purposely exclude the unsettling details of this transition.
What details are left out of their inflated stories? “Caroline, it’s amazing. I don’t have to go to 8AM classes or stress over tests and papers, and now I can do all the things I didn’t have the time to do during college…[painfully smiles]”. Little did we know…post-graduate life is filled with dark moments of loneliness, epiphanies, and CONSTANT existential crisises.
People disappear after graduation because they are figuring their shit out. Suddenly, there is time to think by themselves for themselves, without distractions, and without noise. People need every ounce of energy to maintain their focus, their sanity, as they embark on an introspective journey in defining their life’s purpose and refining the narrative they want to tell. (Rough.)
There is no clear path to becoming a capable adult, but there are universal principles that can be learned and applied to multiple life events.
We learn from stories and conversations but mainly from personal experience and active reflection. I feel an obligation to share what I painstakingly learn to the people I love most, so they can benefit from my struggles.
That’s where this writing series comes in.
This post-graduate themed series is called “Revelations”. Through this string of articles, I aim to share the lessons and epiphanies I’ve collected and will continue to collect as I move through this growth period. This series will simultaneously serve as a record of my progress this year.
To those who choose to join me on this creative and personal journey, thank you in advance. You give me the confidence and motivation to continue writing. (Exciting times!)
This series is inspired by Ray Dalio’s Principles: Life and Work.
Thank you to my girl Theresa Tran for editing this post.
