Embracing Change After College

Once upon a time back in high school, our teacher had shared a nugget of wisdom that’s relevant to this date. We were in class 12, about to graduate school and enter college life. He said:

Guys, you’ll realize that the real world starts only after you leave college.

– My high school teacher

Like most people, college days we some of the best days of my life. The freedom of being away from home. Managing oneself. Becoming a self-sufficient individual. All those things meant a lot to me. Along the way, I made a ton of friends. Some moved on, some remained.

Change is But Normal

I was interning in the final year of college when I learned started to understand the gravity of what our teacher had told us four years ago. Things changed.

  • The groups I never hung out with, became my Friday-night party pals. We ended up meeting almost every Friday.
  • The people I thought I’d never relate to, grew close. Those who promised to be friends for life – didn’t return calls and texts.
  • The people I thought were the most important in my life, changed.
  • I began to realize the value of family. The importance of calling your parents twice or thrice a week to just check up on them.

Bottom line – change is normal.

I realize today is that this is all but usual. Maybe this is what is supposed to happen. And it happens to the best of us.

Note that I’m not discounting the value of genuine friendships. Some constants that will always remain. As for the rest, change is but normal.

Accepting Change

I think that a rational way to deal with the end of college is simple. We need to accept that things are not going to be the same again. We need to embrace change.

Then again, embracing change is a double-edged sword. While dealing with change, we might conclude that the folks who aren’t in touch with us, weren’t really our friends. I think there’s a better way to rationalize this.

It is human tendency to draw conclusions on past events, based on current situations. Maybe your college buddy found a group they’re more comfortable with. Perhaps their work demands more. Maybe they’re trying to get serious about settling down.

It is important not to let current events alter our perception of the past. Look at your old photos, remember the good times and move on.

Everyone has luggage. Life happens. Priorities change. College gangs drift apart. And that’s perfectly normal.

By Sourav

Sourav is an aspiring marketer with a passion for all things digital. He currently handles product marketing for an e-commerce app. You can get in touch with him on Twitter.