What's been especially hard about life after college?

The hardest part of being a new graduate is feeling like I don’t really fit in or belong in my new city or job, even after six months. It's been very difficult adjusting to life without the community provided by the campus and my Christian friends. Unlike campus, my experience in the "real world" is that there is no one to help you move in, get you oriented, share meals, plan pizza parties, and help you find friends. The people I meet now already have friends and routines, and don't necessarily want to take someone under their wing. I expected to miss my friends and campus community, but I never thought I’d miss the college atmosphere like I do now.

What's been especially good?

The only thing that has kept me sane is finding a local church community. It's also helped me to stay in touch with people, particularly my four college roommates, who are going through similar transitions and feelings. Even though none of us are in the same city or in the same kind of living and working situations, it's been incredibly comforting to compare notes with friends who are wrestling with the same questions.

Have you had any doubts about your job decision

I've had constant doubt about taking this job. I've questioned and re-questioned how in the world I decided this was what I wanted to do. Somewhere in the back of my mind I remember thinking that God was opening this door for me, but it only rarely feels that way now that I'm actually here. I think this is mostly because everything is much clearer when you think back on it than when you have to make a decision not knowing all the information. There were a ton of things I didn't know before I made the choice about what to do with this year, but I was excited enough about what I did know that I didn't think too much about the rest.

When I started this season of life last September, all I knew was that I had a job. I didn’t know where I was going to live. I didn’t know anybody in the city where I was moving. I didn't know any churches in the area. I didn’t even really know what my job was going to involve on a daily basis, just that I had one. Some people would probably not have said yes without more information, but I did. I think there are lots of questions I didn't ask, either because I didn't know what they were or I didn’t think they were important. But now I've learned a lot about how to make future decisions and what questions to ask.

Here is my advice:

• Ask lots of questions during the decision-making process.
• Don't get overly attracted to just one aspect of a new situation.
• If you can identify major lessons that God has taught you during college, it's safe to assume that he wants you to keep applying those lessons once you’re out of college.

How has the church search and finding community gone?

I found a church a month after moving here because I didn't want to spend a lot of time looking at different churches every Sunday. The church is mostly 20-30 year-olds who are committed to social justice, which is important to me. I knew that I wasn’t going to find the perfect church, and I've had questions about whether I should stay. But one of the things I like about the church is that people are real with their struggles, their imperfect faith, and their questions. It's refreshing to be in a place like that. I think it’s better to choose an imperfect Christian community than to choose not to be part of a community at all.

Community in a church doesn't look the same as community in college. You won't see them as often, you'll study the Bible differently, you won’t talk about the same issues, you'll get asked for money more often, and most of all, you'll notice lots of different stages of life. This will take some adjustment from the college environment where everyone is pretty similar to you, but it can be wonderful as well.

What's been the biggest surprise or shock about post-college life?

Certain things have been harder than I thought they would be, but the good news is that God has this amazing ability to redeem my bad decisions and negative attitudes. This season of life, more than any other, is teaching me who I am. Being on my own, away from my parents and the more-structured-than- you-think environment of college, my decisions have shown where my priorities are and what I value. Sometimes I look at my life and wonder, "Is this really who I am? Is this really my life?" But God knows who I am and knows what he’s using this time for, and that knowledge is often the only thing that gets me through the day. He’s awesome like that.

Additional Flux articles online and resources

• Congratulations: You're Going to be a Millionaire!, by Robert and Gweneth B. Schwab
• After the Diploma: one graduates journey, by Chad Riley
• Targets in Transition, by Rich Lamb
• A Workplace Attitude, by Pete Hammond.
• Ministry in Daily Life Ministries