So you’ve graduated. Now what?

Making the adjustment from college to post-grad life can be rough, so we asked some recent grads from American University Hillel, Hillel at Kent State University and UC Berkeley Hillel to share their best bits of advice.

A regular schedule means time to be healthy.

“When I was in school, I was busy with my classes, internship and student organization meetings, so I never had time to cook or focus on my health. Be patient. When you graduate, you gain more time you can use to eat healthy and exercise.” – Tamara Stein, ‘15

Jewish life comes at its own pace.

“Hillel was very important to my life during college, allowing me to rediscover Judaism in a different way. Evaluating your feelings about God and religion is a private, individual process, still happening in post-grad. Now I attend services when I’m able and find satisfaction in celebrating my culture my own way.” – Hannah Servedio, ‘15

Long-distance relationships are manageable.

“You’ll work out your own rhythm and find compromise in the amount you talk, text and Skype. Don’t forget life happens, and you have to learn to be flexible.” – Rebecca Powell, ‘13

Work/life balance is key.

“Figure out what your priorities are. It’s easy to get stuck at work if you don’t set boundaries, because your backlog can be endless. Make your priorities clear and understand that you have to sacrifice your balance sometimes.” – Sam Levine, ‘11

Make your own Jewish social life.

“I made myself go to Jewish events around town after I graduated. There are so many ways to get involved in the adult Jewish community: events, happy hours and services are just some of the things I’ve found.” – Tamara Stein, ‘15

Put forth effort to stay in touch.

“Most of my friends live in other cities now, so I really need to make the effort to stay in touch, schedule visits and let them know they’re still important to me. Work on maintaining the friendships that really matter to you.” – Lauren Landau, ‘12

Stop wasting money on food.

“You can’t go out to eat every day during the week, so you have to make your lunch at home and cook something for dinner. Plan ahead and buy things you can save and make later in the week.” – Darren Rabinowitz, ‘15

Maintaining friends after college? Use your calendar.

“The main difference between my social life in college and now is having to reevaluate my priorities. I actually use my calendar for the small things, like nail appointments and dinner dates, so I know my availability.” – Hannah Servedio, ‘15

Not sure of your next steps after graduation?

Don’t fret – we’re hiring!