College Is In The Rearview Mirror

The first thing that I want to do is apologize for the long wait for this blog post! But it led me to what I want to write about today. I started blogging at the end of senior year and I hate to admit it but the work caught up to me. My routine was: wake up, work 9-5, go to a three hour class, and then slowly chip away at my senior project. I think that my last semester of college was the hardest one by far. In the end it was worth the effort, because I received a degree in the profession that I know I will love. Eighteen years of schooling went into that degree. That is 82% of my life! And the other 18% I can hardly remember. So in essence, the only life that I have ever known, a life of learning and studying, of team sports and term papers, is over. That is so freaking exciting!

But it is also a little confusing.

How do I successfully transition from college into the real world? I was fortunate enough to accept a full time position as an interior designer. I did not have to spend months trolling monster.com, and I did not have to move, or even find a new roommate. Some people may move home to save up some money and search for their dream job. Others may decide to start a new adventure in a completely foreign place. Every path has its own set of challenges, but I bet many recent graduates are asking the same questions that I am.

1. What is my routine?

Back in grade school every minute of every day was scheduled. When to wake up, when to go to class, when to eat lunch, when to play, and when to go to bed. College came with a taste of freedom. But I still had a scheduled swim practice and scheduled classes. Now I have the freedom to decide when I want to arrive at work. I get to choose when I want to exercise. Do I get up early and work out before work? Or do I don my sneakers after the work day is over? I found out that it is just one big experiment. I tried going to work fairly early and working out afterwards. But then I had very little time to make dinner and I was going to bed too late to be on peak performance at work. So I tried a new method. I woke up even earlier, and as a morning person it was not too difficult. I exercised before work and was wide awake and ready for the rest of my day. And with my workout already complete, there was plenty of time to make dinner at the end of the day. So my suggestion for finding the right routine for you, is to just keep trying different things until you figure out what works for you.

2. How do I handle sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day?

Working a forty hour work week is definitely not something that I was used to. The structure of being focused at a desk for 8 hours a day is difficult. I find myself often becoming fidgety and less focused after working for a while because I am used to running from practice to class, and class to class. The best solution I have found is instead of taking one long lunch break in the middle of the day, I take a couple of shorter breaks periodically to walk around and stretch my legs. It is a great way to give my mind a break, and refocus. If I had the option, however, I wouldn't sit at all. A new book I discovered called Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World is all about the health effects of sitting down and how to combat it. The book should be insightful, and I'm hopeful that the design world will continue on the path of creating office and education spaces conducive to promoting human health.

3. What do I do to stay active?

Since the end of my swim career I have struggled to find a good replacement activity. Being a part of a team motivates you to wake up early and push yourself. Exercising on your own is a lot more difficult. A simple gym membership is a nice way to get back into the swing of things because it isn't too expensive and they often offer general classes. But the motivation to work harder than I think is possible doesn't exist without the team element. My idea is to look around my community and try different group classes. I already have Orange Theory and yoga classes under my belt. Then, when I find something that I like, I can pay for a few classes a month to mix things up in my exercise routine.

4. How do you stay in touch with friends?

It's amazing that in just four years you can develop such strong friendships. The friends that I made in design classes and on the swim team are friendships that I don't want to let go of. And I don't think I have to. Whether my friends are close by, or chose to start a new life in a new place, technology makes it super easy to stay connected. People get caught up in their new jobs and new friends and it is easy to feel forgotten. A simple phone call is a great reminder that those friendships are still important, they have just changed. And I fully intend to try and get together with my really close friends as often as we can make manage.

Even though I graduated, I still have a lot of close friends in college. It will be hard to make plans with them when I have to work all day. I will have to decline late Tuesday night adventures. That does not mean that I have to give up those friendships. It will just take a little effort to reach out and make weekend coffee plans to keep in touch and remain close. There is no need to go back to all of the college parties, but you also do not have to cut off those friendships either.

5. How do I find out what I am passionate about?

Life would be too easy if your first job was your last. After talking to my new coworkers I found out that not only have many people had multiple jobs, they have also had different careers. One day you could be a lawyer, and twenty years later you could find yourself as a successful photographer. Right now I intend to be interior designer for the rest of my working life. Interior design has so many facets, as I have recently discovered. I could take that profession in so many directions. No matter what the job is, I think it is important to make the most of it. I intend to ask many questions and continue learning so that I can be a valuable member of the design team. Interior Design Magazine and Architect Magazine are a few resources that I can use to stay relevant and learn new trends in design and products. I will never stop educating myself and expanding my knowledge. Staying up to date will not only make me good at my job, it will also help me to grow as a designer and discover what I truly interested in.

If you have any questions or advice of your own feel free to comment or email me!

#college #career #routine