Diary of a December grad: Playing the waiting game

Just a month after graduating from Marietta, the post-graduate life is in full swing for me. As all my friends are returning to campus and getting ready for another semester, I am at home watching the NFL playoffs and browsing every job search website that exists.

I find myself missing my friends and sometimes wishing that I had been returning for another semester. But there is a sense of pride that comes with knowing that I am officially a college graduate.

The ability to fill out job applications and mark that my highest level of education is a "Bachelor's Degree" fuels that pride, but at the same time the job application process also fuels the existence of stress. I have spent the last few weeks diligently and persistently researching companies that have jobs posted on sites like Careerbuilder.com and Snagajob.com. They definitely offer a lot of career opportunities for a new college grad.

However, no matter how many applications I fill out, it still requires an immense amount of patience to find a job that affords the best possible opportunities.

Aside from looking for a job, I have spent my time with my family. Now that I've been home about a month, I have hit that same wall we all experience during winter break...you know that wall that screams "Is it time to go back to school yet?" But for me, going back isn't an option.

I am a college graduate re-learning how to live at home and trying not to let the excessive downtime deter my high spirits about the upcoming months. Part of being a college grad is adjusting to what everyone jokes about as the "real world," but I have quickly realized that the college life is just as much a part of the real world as post-grad life.

There are so many memories and lessons learned that I have taken away from the college experience that are guiding me through life right now as I learn to live with my family, without my friends, and while searching for what my future holds.