AFTER CAMPUS LIFE

As we sit for our final paper on this Friday, our faces are beaming with smiles, but our minds are troubled with unanswered questions. It has been a long journey, filled with countless times of attending class on empty stomachs, enduring cold and rainy mornings in pursuit of our dreams, and humbling ourselves before arrogant lecturers. Our parents instilled in us the belief that if we worked hard, went to university, got a good job, we could build a house and drive. However, as time passed, the old order was disrupted and things were not as straightforward as they seemed. We hand in our papers with shouts of joy, not realizing that it would be the last time we would feel such happiness. We take pictures, unaware that it would be the last time we were all together. As I wake up in my small bedsitter, I reflect on my life. I call some friends, some of whom were fortunate enough to secure jobs before graduation, while others had accepted the reality of unemployment and returned home. But for me, going home was not an option as my family did not have vast lands to till. Our once easy-going life as comrades turned chaotic as people disappeared online and daily calls ceased to exist. The post-campus life had become a marathon and it was every man for himself. Stress management, which was one of the last units taught in my course, became the first unit to be applied in real life. I kneel down and pray, as unemployment, loneliness, and stress are the predicament of every graduate and finalist. Amidst all this chaos, we are advised to stay calm and focused in order to succeed.It is never easy and it is never going to be easy but we hope for the best that is found . There is no secret formula to navigating life after campus, except to relax, stay focused, and keep moving forward.