Will We Greeks Have Post Graduation Depression?
 

College is some of the busiest times of our lives. And aren't Greeks busiser than most?

Even if you don't work during school, you are active in campus activities, sometimes several.

It just seems like there is always something to do!

Someone to see. Someone to talk to. Something that will need to be done.

You walk into the beginning of the semester and you know you will be bouncing from thing to thing until Finals . . . only to rest to the next one starts.

Look at our RUSH threads. Its like hurry up and wait all the time. And just when the threads die down they start up again.

What will become of us super students, the ones that go to school full-time, work, hold office in student government and a fraternity or sorority?

What will become of all us super achievers when we lay down all our honors, attention, obligations, acclamations.

Won't we be bored? Maybe a little stressed and anxious? Depressed?

How many occupations out there give us the sheer volume of activity and access to people that a college campus does?

If you know some please tell us, because otherwise, damn, I think we should all just keep registering for classes.:)

Pre-Grads and post grads please share your thoughts!?



Sorry if this should be in chit chat . . . :)

As much as I don't want to graduate and have to face "the real world", I'm also really excited. Right now, I wish I could create a clone of myself so I can get everything done. One to go to all the meetings for my campus activites, one to hang out with my sorority, one to do all my academics, one to go to work, and one to hand out resumes so I can find a post-graduate job. Over winter break, all I did was just worked. I had no school or clubs and organizations to take up my time. It was relaxing. I would come home from work and just veg in front of the TV. A part of me never wants to leave college but another part of me just wants to be able to sit down and relax!

Well, I've had an experience in college where I've had to support myself a bunch (regarding school stuff, extracurricular stuff, etc.), so as far as the responsibility, it won't be a huge jump for me...I'd like to be completely on my own, without my parents help, and I think that the stuff I've had to do the past four years will help me with that.

I will miss the college atmosphere though...one of my best friends is a recent grad, and he has constantly reminded me that it's never the same when you leave..it'll still be fun, but not the same fun.

When I took two years off of college, I tried to fill it with work and activities and friends, like I had in college, but somehow, it wasn't the same. Now that I'm back in College, the sheer volume of things that I do from day to day can be overwhelming again, but at the same time, I missed it so much when I was gone. When I graduate, I'm going to try to keep that same level of activity because I've found that personally, I thrive on it.

I will be sad, because I'm going to miss my sisters. :(

Right now I am student teaching and I am definitely feeling bored and lonely. Mostly when I come home, I just want to veg out. I miss everyone back at school and the few friends that I have at home all have their own stuff going on (college, work, one even has a kid). Also, it'd be really nice to meet a guy but a) I'm too tired/lazy to look and b) even if I did go out, it's not like I'd know where to look. So, it kinda sucks all around. :(

I will tell you right now, YES you will have post-graduation depression.

You will feel lonely and lost, and flat-out bored... b/c EVERYTHING changes and everyone spreads out (unless you all stay in your college town and take slacker jobs and party for a few years).

But, after awhile, you get used to your new life. You visit your friends across the country (which is cool). You make new friends. You discover new bars. You have more money to spend.

And you can hang on to the hope that, one day, you'll get a job you really like.

I don't know... maybe that's just my situation.

If you want a job that gives you excitement and helps you meet people/keep busy, sales/marketing/PR seem to be good ways to go. As for keeping busy and having fun, you just have to go out... LOTS! And get a second job just for fun or take up a hobby so that you can meet more people and keep busy.

yep this is my worry above all worries. But as a founder of my chapter, I doubt I'll have any problems with sticking around in an advisory role.

Well, i wouldn't say i suffered from post-grad depression, but i do suffer from boredom.
I grad. in 2001, i went back to school for a 2nd degree that fall but dropped out....I've remained as active as possible but I now live 15hrs(train) from home and my chapter. I am part of my chapter's advisory board(email!)...Hopefully next year I'll move back closer...
But back to the boredom....eg. today, sunday, meeting days...if i was back home i'd go to chapter meeting (even tho i'm alum)...but since i'm not there, i sat around on my butt all day..

The boredom is only greatened by the fact that i work only part time, and i live in a small French speaking town in which i know noone....

so, if your a friendly outgoing kind of person, i'm sure you'll have no probs filling the void.....staying as involved as possible with your GLO will def help stave off depression and/or boredom....

I don't see why you still can't hang out with our brother/sisters on your free time, :confused: Unless, of course, you attended college out of town.

This is something that I never thought of...and it makes me kinda worry

Hopefully I'll be going to med school after graduation, so I may stave this off...after med school will come the interning and such which will definately keep me busy.

I guess by that point I'll be so far removed from it all that I won't notice it, but I do know that I have considered how much I will miss my bros and all the friends I've made here. I know that this year I will be sad when the seniors in our house graduate b/c I've actually become good friends with a bunch of them and it will be weird not having them around (our pledge classes are pretty well linked as they were the ones who were really in charge of rushing us and we exhibit the similar traits of excellence that they have - we've since accomplished more, but those guys are awesome)

I have "Im an alumna" depression...

Poopy sorority wanting stupid money that I dont have... grrr... if sororities were free, yea, that would rock. It would also give all women a chance to join!

Hmmm... idea!

Having been out of school (for all intents and purposes) for about a year and a half now, I can agree that it's a major change.

Life seems a lot quieter... you miss all the fun things you did in college, and yet you start to wonder how you had all that energy to get all those things done. When you get together with your friends that are still in school, you become the old lady who can't stay up until 4 and party like a rock star anymore because you have to be in to work at 7:30, and that's not quite the same as having to be in class at 7:30 :)

Then again, actually having money is nice :)

With any luck, I'll be headed to grad school in the fall, and architecture programs are especially intense. :eek: So, I don't think I'll be bored too too much. Plus, most people from my school end up in NYC or Boston, which are my top two choices for grad school. I can't wait until I will just have work...not classes/sorority/Panhel/grad school and job applications/job/social life to juggle. I figure if I'm really really nostalgic for Greek life, I can be a chapter advisor (all of my grad school choices have chapters of my sorority! woo hoo!).

I don't know if Greeks are "busier than most". Maybe it depends on your school. Of my friends, the busiest ones are the ones who aren't Greek, because most of my sisters don't have to have on-campus jobs, and the sorority is their only extracurricular activity. Meanwhile, I have independent friends who have two jobs, are taking a full load of classes, and are heavily involved in student government.

I've had this overwhelming desire to "party like a rock star" lately, and that's basically my top priority this semester. I'm finished with my majors, and am just writing a thesis and taking classes to ensure that I graduate. :D

Since I wasn't greek in college, I can't say whether I suffered post-grad depression related to that but I held office in about three different student activities. Once I graduated, I did feel a little... aimless.. for awhile. I took some post-baccalaureate classes so that I could bring up my GPA before graduate school, but even if you're in undergraduate classes after you graduate, that mental division between you and the other undergrads is very real. You feel it, they feel it, and no one really knows how to get across it (unless you were really good friends before hand).

I think it's understandable to feel that way, because a major chapter of your life is closing, and of course, you're mourning the self you used to be, and are unsure of the self you're becoming. Stay involved with your fraternity as an alum, keep in touch with old university friends as much as possible, and maybe, join the alum association for your college or university. But even more so, accept the changes that are happening with open arms and look at it as another exciting phase of your life starting. Having a positive attitude about it works wonders.

(Of course, I'm having the most extended adolescence possible, since I've been at university for a total of 8 years -- if you include graduate school)

Yes, life will slow down a bit once you graduate from college and hit the full-time work world, but my job keeps me busy a lot, and you make new friends and go out and enjoy yourself. And if you're still wanting sorority/fraternity experience, volunteer for your international organizations. Join an alumnae association. Volunteer for charity. Life after college is what you make of it.

Its definately a big change. When I graduated I went back home thinking that all my friends would be coming back. Nope, all changed their minds and went elsewhere. People said why dont I just move back to Ann Arbor, but everyone is gone from there too. I miss my sorority sisters a lot too. Its just not the same being an alum. An ADPi I work with was talking to me and we both want to be involved in our orgs. on a real active level still. I am starting an alum group, but even that's still not the same. But you live and move on :)

Heck yeah!

When you are in college, you can become president of an organization within three years. You can become the editor of your paper and control a huge budget.

You get out of college, and there you are in an entry-level job. It doesn't matter what your skills are, you have to "pay your dues" to get promoted. Within three years, you're lucky to have been promoted once. Or you work at a crappy company with high turnover and get promoted - but then you work at a crappy company. Recognition does not come as quickly.

In college, you are surrounded by your peers. 50% of the people around you are of the opposite sex, and a good portion of those are single. And in general they are smart and (getting) educated.

In the work world, you're surrounded by people who are not in your age group. In my office building, there are fewer than five single men under the age of 35. It's similar in my apartment complex, but at least at work we talk to each other.

Lots of people move away from their college town for family or job reasons. Even if you stick around you can't hang out at college bars forever. In college, especially at the beginning, everyone else was looking for new friends. After college, you have to meet new people without the advantages of new students who also want friends or events like rush.

It's a cold, cruel world out there, kids. It'll make you regret you ever had senioritis.

Fuzzie, you are right on! I feel the same way!

I graduated in May 2002, and it is amazing how much I miss school and my chapter. The thing that was most difficult for me was the change in living arrangements. I lived in my chapter house with 90 sisters for three years, and then after graduation, I moved into an apartment with two friends. I never realized how much I would miss the constant chaos of the house!! I admit that the first few months out were very hard for me to adjust to.

I really miss being around my sisters. Sure, a lot of us live in the same area, and we have been really good about getting together, but it isn't the same as when we were all living under one roof! Instead of helping each other study for tests or pick out the perfect Friday night outfit, we are talking about engagements, weddings and our 8-5 jobs! Things do change, and the change isn't necessarily bad, just different:)

I always appreciated my chapter and my sisters, but now, I realize just how wonderful and special it was. For those of you still in school, enjoy every last second!

~azureblue~

Alpha Delta Pi
First. Finest. Forever.

Post-grad depression hit me hard. My good friends had all graduated the year before and had gone back home, and I spent senior year with the two that were left. I was still in school and didn't get why they didn't want to hang out and do all the stuff we used to do in school (I understand now though - when you have to get up for work, you can't party like a rock star, and partying with 18 years olds makes you feel SO old when you've graduated). So I felt pretty alone.

I decided not to go to law school, which was my big goal in life. Of course, I picked one of the toughest years in recent history to try to get a job. I ended up in a job in a completely new area (marketing when I was poli sci/communications in college). In 2 weeks, I went from being completely on top of my game to being at the bottom of the corporate ladder and not knowing whether I could even do what they needed me to do.

I also moved back home because it was close to my job. It's also 45 minutes away from all my friends who are still in the area. All of a sudden, I was the one left out of all the spontaneous gatherings when a year ago, I was the one calling to get evreyone together. I didn't have anyone I could hang out with unless I made plans in advance, and that's a big change when you used to live with 30 women. I started feeling like my social life was shot and college was the best it would ever get.

Once they started letting people go at work, the stress became too great and I ended up seeking the help of a professional. But the good part is, I got over it, and everyone else can get through it too. Here are some of the things I learned the hard way, and maybe it'll help some of you:

1) Even though you're new to the working world and might not be around a lot of people your age, everyone knows what you're going through since they've all started somewhere. Your coworkers may not be people you can hang out with outside of work, but they can be great for advice.

2) I second the GO OUT. Yeah, you never see your friends...BECAUSE YOU'RE SITTING AROUND DOING NOTHING. You'll probably have to make plans in advance, and you might have to hang out with people who aren't your closest friends, but make some calls, send some e-mails, and you'll have a social life. It might not involve partying till 4 am, but going to a movie or going to dinner can also be fun. And when you go out, make a point of meeting new people. You can never have too many friends.

3) Make the most of your money. Travel because you can take a 3 day weekend and not worry about missing class. Buy the fun car that you always wanted. Go to IKEA once a month and redo a room. Take your poor student friends out. Take a class you've always wanted to take, like wine tasting or yoga. Saving money is, of course, the financially responsible thing to do and is important. But when else in your life can you get that Mustang convertible and not have to try to get kids in the back? Want to spend $400 on a treadmill you'll use once a month? If you can afford it, do it, and don't beat yourself up over it because you could've thrown that into a mutual fund. Chances are, your grown-up responsibilities will only go up from here, so enjoy your excess cash while you can. This doesn't mean go wildly into debt, of course, but so what if taking a trip to Vegas postpones buying your first house for one more month? Do it and enjoy it while you can because you're only young (and mortgage-free) once. And it'll help you remember why you're going to work every day in the first place. :)