Postgraduate depression is a condition that is not diagnosed. It’s a mental condition that happens among college students after graduating college. They feel uncertainty, adversity, and loneliness. This condition affects postgraduates when they enter the real world. As a result, they lack motivation, waste time on social media, having an extreme overabundance in their lives, and they compare themselves to others.
This may be boring, but just keep reading, because here is some research:
According to U.S. Student Loan Hero, the average student monthly payment is in the $0 - $400 range. The report also states that the Class of 2018 average debt is around $22,000 or more, including federal, state, and private loans. America has over 45 million loan borrowers and the report also shows that the student loan debt is about $1.56 trillion and that is more than credit card debt. Many postgraduates have to consider making informed decisions on payment plans or loan forgiveness.
According to The Balance, the unemployment rate for 2018 is 50%. The article shows a table rating unemployment rates of each year starting in January. Many postgraduates apply to many jobs and some would hear back for an interview. After countless interviews, this could affect a millennial. They went to school for four years, earned several internships, got involved in student organizations, and maintained good grades. They’re hit with rock bottom when they have no job and have to pay back loans. Many jobs hire people who have “more,” professional experience, rather than taking a chance on a postgraduate with minimum experience. This rejection hurt graduates, and some would go into a field that they didn’t major in college. I know this from personal experience. Although millennials want to be in their desired fields, dream jobs can take longer than they anticipated. They expect everything to fall in place after college, but life changes because the job market and they turn to social media for help, rather than communicating their feelings.
According to a 2017 study from the American Psychological Association, adults constantly check their phones for emails, text messages, and social media accounts to escape the reality. The study also said 4 out of 5 adults are attached to their electronic devices and this gives them envy and anxiety. This is accurate for the millennial generation because they are consumed by what they see on their news feed. Millennials create a perception of their friend’s life on social media. They see their friends’ happy post-grad, but pictures can be demeaning when they do not know what they’re going through physically, mentally, or emotionally. They assume social media can solve their stress, but it can project either positive or negative connotations. They have to be honest with themselves because many goes through this quarter life crisis.
Let’s be real:
Most of us fear one thing when we’re entering the real world: a change of structure. School was a primary structure by giving us a sense of acceptance, a network of opportunities and support from university professors. This structure ends after spending 16 years of reinventing our social identities, making friends, pulling all-nighters writing papers, and studying for exams. We set goals for ourselves and it doesn’t work out. We are not happy with how things are turning out, ask ourselves what is wrong with us after failed interviews, getting accustomed to new jobs, and feeling isolated from our friends. I had dealt with this depression for several months. I soon realized that even though I miss the moments while being in college, there’s so much out there in the world to discover. Transition may be challenging, but you’re not alone. Everyone goes through this, just take one day at a time, be your own best friend, support your goals, try different routes, and do not compare yourself to other people; you are you for a reason and that’s important.
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