The Post-Degree Blues

In a previous post, the idea of a "mid-degree" crisis was explored. But now, I'd like to take this opportunity to discuss a whole new crisis you might face once you make it through the first one (and don't worry, you will).

Post-degree depression: it's not uncommon. You've worked hard for four years, maybe even more, and now you're ready to enjoy the fruits of your labour. That being, hopefully, a fulfilling post-graduate position. You want a position you're passionate and interested in. Oh, and it wouldn't hurt if the pay was great. And maybe a couple weeks paid vacation. A health spendings account maybe? Oh, and benefits. Yeah, benefits would be great.

You start to make a list of all the things you'd like out of a job. You take a step back and see how massive the list has become. So you start the job search and begin striking things off the list as it becomes more and more apparent that you're probably not going to find a position that fills all your requirements. Then the rationalizing inner-dialogue kicks in.

"Well,  it could be interesting to write newsletters for a company who makes paper... I like paper."
"On second thought, who really loves what they do everyday anyway?"
"Okay, maybe I don't really need GREAT benefits."
"Maybe I'll just never get sick or injured ever again, and then who cares about health insurance?"
"I could just do unpaid internships and live off the land."

Now, before you start making your, "will write copy for food" sign, you must first understand that these circumstances are normal. In fact, research from the Institute for Employment Studies shows that many graduates take two or more years to settle into "stable" employment, and one in three graduates enter temporary or fixed-term contracts. This means that the majority of recent grads may not find a full-time position in their field until two years after they've completed their programs.

These facts aren't meant to discourage; they are meant to show you that post-degree life isn't always easy, and that it's common to become a bit adrift. Sometimes it just takes time to settle into the professional world after studying for four or more years.

Saying goodbye to the familiar haven of education and the flexible structure of a post-secondary life can be a huge shock for new grads, especially for ones who don't have a definite career plan. That's why it's so important to routinely check in with yourself to evaluate what exactly you want out of your career. This isn't to say that you should know exactly what kind of job you want or what route you want to take to get there, but by having a solid career plan, you can avoid that feeling of complete uncertainty. Laying out what you want and having those words in front of you can help you evaluate different directions you might take. Periodic self-evaluation might make you realize that what you want out of your career has changed over the past few years, and that could lead you to applying for completely different jobs than you might have a year ago. Career plans can be a crutch in times of post-degree uncertainty. It may take some time to get where you want, but having a plan is only beneficial to you. Being self-aware could lead you into the next great thing in your career; you just have to be open to it.

So when you don that cap and gown, walk across the stage, and proceed to drink copiously to celebrate your recent graduation; remember, there is more to come. You could get exactly the position you wanted right out of school, or you could be a mere mortal like the majority of new grads and have a little more trouble and times of uncertainty. Don't worry, you'll power your way through it. Just like you did all those hours of group assignments and all-nighters hunched over a desk studying for a philosophy final... or was it psychology? Doesn't matter. You're almost there. And you're going to be living proof that if one can earn their degree, they can handle whatever comes next. 

Good luck. And knock em' dead. 

The Mid-Degree Crisis

Image courtesy of someecards.com

Three years ago I should have been enrolling in classes for the third year of my undergraduate degree. Instead, I was googling the cost of flights to Australia and reading hostel reviews. Even thinking about choosing classes for the coming year had me panicking. What if the classes didn't help me find a position for my field placement in my fourth year? And what did I even want to do for my placement? Could I see myself doing that as a career? Where the heck was I going with this degree? I was experiencing a major mid-degree crisis.

Defined by Urban Dictionary as the sudden realization that you have absolutely no idea what you want to major in for the next two years of your four year college career, I think any sort of panic about your education and future at any point in your academic career counts as a mid-degree crisis.  The crisis can be caused or influenced by a number of things. My mid-degree crisis was caused by a sudden realization that I really, really disliked editing. A number of classes in editing had only enforced my dislike of the task. This was not a very good realization to have two years into a degree I had entered into with the intention of becoming a professional editor.

Changes in living situations, funding, interests, and the economy can all be factors in a mid-degree crisis. So can pressures from instructors, parents, and peers. And sometimes just the stress of assignments and tests is enough to have you mentally pressing a panic button. Whatever the cause, a mid-degree crisis is scary. When I started to realize I needed to rethink my entire life plan, I was terrified. Now I can admit, as horrible as it seemed at the time, my mid-degree crisis is the best thing that ever happened to me as far as my education and future is concerned. 

I was forced to take a really close look at my goals, priorities, and skills in both the short- and long-term. I quickly realized that I needed to take a break. I needed to get away from the stress of academic life before I could make any serious decisions about my future. So I used all that information I had gathered googling Australia and left the country for eight months. When I returned, I had a clear goal in mind, I had a plan to achieve that goal, and I felt amazing. That goal has evolved since then, but it has still followed a pretty straight trajectory. 

I'll admit I was pretty lucky in that I had the luxury of basically disappearing for eight months without any major repercussions. I hadn't taken out any student loans (yet), had money saved, and my program was set up in such a way that taking a break between year two and three worked really well. No two students experiencing mid-degree crises are going to have the exact same set of circumstances. And while travelling for eight months was the perfect way for me to work through my mid-degree crisis, it is not going to be a solution for everyone. So if you're facing a mid-degree crisis or are worried you may have one in the future, I offer the following advice:

• Speak to an advisor at your school. Their job is to help you out in situations like these. Tell them everything you're worried about. They're better equipped to deal with all the questions you might have about your options, and they might be able to offer some options that you wouldn't consider. And even if you have a decision in mind, they can help get you on the correct path to following that decision through. Once I realized editing was not for me, I spoke to my program advisor. She helped me focus on what other options my program provided me, and she also gave me some much needed encouragement and support. 

• Talk to your instructors. They might not be aware that you're having issues. And a mid-degree crisis is an issue regardless of if it's affecting your marks. Letting your instructors know you're unsure about your future in the program may result in them working with you to make your classes more topical. Or they might offer the advice or encouragement you need at that moment. Some students don't actually make any major changes in response to a mid-degree crisis. They simply need a boost in confidence. It's my experience that most instructors really do have your best interests in mind. 

• Think long and hard about what you want and not what your mom, dad, instructors, partner, or anyone else might want. Yes, choosing not to finish your degree and focusing on yoga, art, or any other number of disciplines not generally taught in a formal educational setting is very difficult, but making that choice might just result in something amazing. 

• Finally, know that there is no right or wrong way to deal with a mid-degree crisis. Nor is it required to ever have a mid-degree crisis. As much as my own experience dealing with panic mid-degree was rewarding for me, I still wouldn't recommend it. I've always been jealous of people who have known what they wanted to be since they were five and probably always will be.

Image courtesy of Threadless Inc. 

Whether you choose to abandon all responsibility and drink your way across the beaches of Oceania or work through the panic and stick with your original degree, the mid-degree crisis does not have to be a horrific ordeal. It may become the catalyst to the change you needed; if you don't believe me, there are other students who have recorded their experiences here and here. And once you're done dealing with your mid-degree crisis, you can get a head-start preparing for that quarter-life crisis that I hear I'm just about to encounter. I sure am glad my mid-degree crisis led me to apply for graduate school! 

Image courtesy of someecards.com