Update period: June 9 – September 6
This post-grad update is 3 weeks late. There’s a reason for the tardiness, and I’ll let the update explain for itself on that. I actually have a lot to share!
At the time of writing this, it’s been 9 months and some change since I graduated and to even think that my next update will be an entire year is shocking.
Now, like in my previous update—which was 2 weeks late, I don’t want to include any updates that are supposed to be at the start of the next update. So everything I share will be for the full and complete 3-month period. Not a day over.
A lot of new things have started within these past couple of months. I’m finally working, created my first product and got my first YouTube check and much more I can’t wait to share with you in detail.
Wow, just writing that helped me realize how much I’ve actually done. It doesn’t really feel that way in the moment, which is why I enjoy reflecting and putting it into words.
Student Loans
My student loans were due for their first payment around June. I deferred them and plan on paying them back as soon as I’m financially stable enough to do so.
Employment
This is why my update is running late. I’ve been doing nothing but work. It’s even been tough for me to create content as much as I used to since I started working.
After the first half of the year being heavily focused on building my YouTube channel and searching for job opportunities in my field, I eventually mustered up the courage to just get a random job. Before making this decision though, I had a recruiter contact me about a job offer. It was complicated even considering going to the interview because I thought I was about to move (which I still am) but this job was only 3 days a week and didn’t seem worth the stay.
Plus, I knew since I’d have to leave my hometown and move to where my family is soon (to save up money). If I was going to stay here and work, it was going to be a temporary job. 3 months tops.
Needless to say, I declined the offer and started looking for a job I wouldn’t feel like I had to stay for months to a year (or more) before quitting.
A college graduate who spent thousands of dollars on education to end up at a job that seems destined for high school students and retired folks looking to earn some extra cash is hardly ever the plan.
Some would say “a job is a job” but truth be told, there’s a certain standard that the world expects from people who go to college. It’s easy to feel less than or like a failure when in this type of situation. I ain’t gonna lie, it FEELS embarrassing and sometimes I feel like I should be ashamed for being 9 months out of college asking “would you like chips or a drink with your meal?” So, I don’t talk about my employment much.
I spent a week applying to every “basic” job I could think of: movie theater, mall, hotel, temp agencies, restaurants. I also wanted to make sure I got a job that would pay me remotely close to what I’m used to. There was no way I could allow myself to work on minimum wage.
It’s weird going from a supervisor position (that I held for years during school) back to being an associate taking orders from people. My first week on the job, I had this random urge to tell another co-worker to straighten up the lobby because it was starting to look like it needed some cleaning. When in reality it was my job to do it.
Not only am I working at a fast food restaurant, I went back to my other seasonal job for the halloween season as a scare actor. It’s the best part time job ever, plus I get to act which is something I love! So, now, I’m juggling 2 jobs. Soon to be working Monday through Sunday with no days off. With the occasion of 1 day off, if I’m lucky. More detail on how it pans out in my next update.
Watch the update video to find out what my jobs are! (video coming soon)
Here’s some pictures from one of my jobs:
Social Life
I’ll go out with people from time to time, but honestly there’s no close friends in my life at the moment who I see on the regular or hang out with. Since I’m working, it’s allowed me to interact more with people and potentially build new relationships.
I have a strong urge to form connections with people who I can relate to and vice versa. I’ve been able to do this with distant people who have been in my life but never close. I’m open to new people too. Being on the same wavelength and having similar interests/mindsets is so important to me, even if our backgrounds or personalities are different. As long as I can connect with them on some level, it’s an amazing feeling.
Mental State
I touched on spiritual growth a little in my last update. It’s a huge part that’s helped me to stay sane in the many transitions I’ve dealt with these past 3 months, such as my living situation (which I choose not to touch on publicly at the moment), working, YouTube accomplishments, etc. Being in touch with your spirituality helps you see things for what they are and why they may be occurring.
I’ve been able to mask any negative emotions that come to me, but I also try to genuinely find things to be positive about. We all got issues going on. How we react to them is what shapes how the outcome affects our future sanity.
Accomplishments
Looking back, I have a great amount of accomplishments that I achieved during this period. I guess I’m just finally recognizing it.
- Thought of a product to create for Thrive During College, which was a student planner for the 2017-2018 school year. I created it within a week. On the computer it looked great, however, I ran into some problems when it came to bringing it life to where you can touch it and actually get one. Feel free to learn more about that.
- Getting a sponsorship is tough when you don’t have a huge following, as in 50-100k or more subscribers. I’ve pitched to brands. None have responded to me, but I’ve gotten a few requests from brands and as of now I’ve accepted one that I believed fit well with my channel. Watch my first sponsored video!
- Once I was eligible for Google Adsense, I signed up. About a month or 2 later, Google sent me my first YouTube check and it kind of made me feel like an “official YouTuber.”
- I’ve interviewed people on my channel, but I’ve never done an official collaboration where we’d both do videos for each other’s channel. My first collab with a fellow YouTuber was a dope experience and a great networking opportunity. Check out the collab if you haven’t seen it yet (my video on his channel and his video on my channel).
- I finally got a job. Not one, but two! To some it’s not the most glamorous and many college grad’s ego wouldn’t allow them to do what I do, but it’s giving me the opportunity to finally put some change in my pocket. It’s not like I’ll be working there forever. You gotta do what you gotta do sometimes. Plus, I love the scare acting job the most because it’s allowing me to perfect my craft in acting, which is something an actor should never stop doing.
There is no video to this update.
Next update: December 5. I’ll try to make sure to have the update out on time! Or at least by December 10, which is technically a full complete year. I’ve been doing updates every 90 days (approx. 3 months).
Read last month’s update: 6 Month Post-Grad Update
