Post-graduation depression a common refrain

Senior class President Troyia Hardy and the panelists. 
Photo by Jazzmin Riles

The senior class cabinet and Florida A&M University’s senior class held a “So You’re Ready to Graduate” panel discussion Tuesday regarding life after graduating from FAMU.

Life after graduation is what most seniors are thinking about around this time of the year and many are unsure about the next steps they should take to pursue their desired career.

The panelists were Michelle Marva Johnson, Shaakira White, Keenan Williams, Brooksie Mcgraw, Serenity Roscoe, Bryton Legree, Destiny Webster and Kordell Wilson; recent graduates of FAMU.

The panelists are all doing various things, including graduate school, working for the department of education and trying to gain more experience in their field.

Wilson graduated in the spring of 2016 and it took him a while post-graduation to find the right path.

“When you leave campus you think you’ll have it all together and will find a job. You don’t prepare for if certain things do not happen as planned. I decided to go to graduate school and realized I was not happy. Once things started to go to the opposite of what I had planned, I fell into a post-graduation depression,” said Wilson.

The panelists agreed that they have at one point or another experienced post-graduation depression.

The American Psychological Association reported that millennials have the highest rate of depression and anxiety of any generation, with job concern high on their list of worries.

Many were also worried about fitting into the stereotypes about graduates that decide to stay in Tallahassee.

Although the panelists faced challenges, they all agreed that FAMU prepares its students for success.

“FAMU prepares you for life after graduation. It teaches you life skills that you take for granted on campus. For an example, dealing with different departments on campus teaches you to have more than one copy of a document. FAMU also taught me to always have a plan. It’s OK to not know what you want to do but have goals and a plan to achieve them,” said Webster.

Graduating seniors can be discouraged when they see their peers have a clear and concise plan. Following their friends on social media can give the student an out-of-proportion sense that everyone has their life figured out after graduating.

When deciding what path you should take post-graduation, it is important to realize your work ethic, to be honest about life and your financial situation.