Life After College
by Denise Morris on 05/02/2008 at 11:43 AM
My most recent article talks about life after college and all of the stresses and decisions that came with it. Basically, during my senior year, I suddenly realized that I would soon have to find an apartment, pay bills and work eight hours a day -- I would have to be an adult! It scared me:
People were expecting things of me — lying on the couch and watching daytime soap operas wasn't going to cut it. And so, instead of getting to the task at hand and embracing the idea of becoming a responsible adult, the resentment began to build. Just who did people think they were, expecting me to work and pay for things?! I thought it was all pretty rude.
Unfortunately, people (and by "people" I mean, of course, "my parents") weren't all that sympathetic to my plight, so I rethought my bitterness. I began to think logically about my options, probably like you're doing right now (in between panic attacks).
The options I outline in my article include getting a job, going to graduate school or taking a year off. The work option seemed most logical, but also kind of frightening -- mainly because I had decided I didn't like my major all that much. But it also caused me to realize something:
I had bought into our culture's idea that, in order to do something well, I had to be utterly and completely passionate about it. Many of us have come to believe that feeling fulfilled in our careers is of highest importance — worth more than the wages we earn or the family we'll be supporting in the near future.
Graduate school was a good option, but I wasn't quite sure what I wanted an advanced degree in. So, I decided to attend the Focus on the Family Institute, which was probably one of the best choices I've made. I learned a ton and it opened the door for my current job.
So, what options did you consider once you graduated college? Did you make the transition to adulthood with grace, or did you stumble along the way?
1. Elizabeth said the following at 12:10 PM on May 2:
I graduated from college just over a year ago and after a short job working at Christian day camps, I got a real, 40-hour-a-week job and jumped into adulthood. You know what? I am loving it. I'm not working my dream job (not even using my degree) but I have great coworkers, fabulous roommates and an amazing church. I don't make a lot of money, but I have more than I did in school. I now have free time and am much less stressed than when I was in school...by the grace of God, the transition has gone well and I am loving it. :)
2. Jess said the following at 12:18 PM on May 2:
Well, I knew I wanted to go to med/grad school, but it was just a question of when and what to do in the meantime. I decided early in my senior year of college to take a year "off" to work while I got my applications together and saved money. My plan was to do this amazing CDC fellowship on emerging infectious diseases, and even though it was incredibly competitive and I'd be going up against masters-level students, I sort of put all of my eggs in that one basket. So, when I got my rejection letter 5 days before graduation, I panicked a little. I was going to be an "adult" in 5 days and I had no JOB! AHHH! :) So, I applied for a paid fellowship at the NIH relatively near my parents' home in Maryland, and went home and worked an office job (I'd worked there over previous summers) for 3 months until my NIH position came through. I was very disillusioned at first to be back in Maryland, which I'd spent my entire adolescence determined to leave, and of course being under my parents' control again was confusing and tough for all of us. In my head, I was a relatively mature 22-year-old, and in my mom's, I was 16. I ultimately stayed home for 13 months, completed my NIH fellowship, traveled all over the country to med school interviews throughout the year, and saved up money, and then in June of 2006, moved to Chicago to start school. I feel like I really became an adult then because I had my first apartment, paid all of my own bills, etc. Med/grad school (I'm doing both concurrently) was an important choice for me in terms of being able to achieve the professional goals I had, but I'm fortunate because my program is funded and I get paid a stipend, so I am not going into debt during school (and I thank God for that frequently). I had to make a lot of big decisions in that year after college (like moving to a whole new place where I didn't know anyone!) but in retrospect, I should have stressed out a lot less and enjoyed all of the wonderful opportunities that I was presented with. At 25, and 3 years post-college, I am very happy with my choices thus far, and I think I chose the right path for me. I think it helped that I began college with a narrow range of professional goals in mind and I chose a major (biochemistry) that prepared me for a particular career path. Some of my friends with degrees in things like history, women's studies, etc. had less clear plans upon graduation and floundered a bit more.
3. Christina (in green) said the following at 1:26 PM on May 2:
My biggest problem with the transition was that I actually had to go to work at a corporation...
I still hadn't embraced that reality by my senior year, still hoping for the magical moment of meeting prince charming, having the romantic proposal and proceeding to the altar. I never actually spent much time trying to figure out what I'd do once I graduated if not that.
So, i took the first job that paid me enough to make a living and pay off my student loans, making sure they had policies that balanced work and life effectively that I could manage home responsibilities and a social life as well as working full-time.
Working and paying for stuff with my own money wasn't the problem as I'd been doing pretty much that for the 6 years prior to graduation. It was the failed expectation of young bride and mother-to-be =p
4. Derek Wong said the following at 1:43 PM on May 2:
I graduated a couple of years ago, and I really do think that I was helped in my transition because of my parents. They were (and always have been) understanding and supportive. Not to say that yours aren't. They allowed me to stay at home and take my time finding a job that I really wanted. And it paid off. I got a job that I do enjoy and is very pertinent to my major.
Besides that, though, I think that personally I was really ready to leave college. I think that it was in no small part due to the fact that my last year or two of college was extremely difficult and all of my lab time, class work, tests, etc were very time-consuming. So much so that it is downright nice to only be doing 8 hours of work a day now! (I majored in Computer Science for those wondering.)
Suffice to say, I've definitely enjoyed the transition.
5. single certain girl said the following at 2:17 PM on May 2:
my college time was actually stretched out to 5 years, because every other quarter i did paid internships that related to my major (graphic design). that gave me a very real picture of what the 'real world' would look like.
after i graduated, i spent a year on a STINT (short term international) with campus crusade for christ in Rome, italy. from raising the support to get there to learning conflict skills and living in a foreign country, it was one of the hardest and best years of my life.
i worked through a lot of issues that year and was in an environment where my faith was really cemented.
a few months after i came back, i got a job in a pretty secular industry (advertising). the last 4 or so years, i've been at that same job, and i'm so glad i had that year in Rome with Crusade. i've had ups and downs spiritually, and i feel like that year really grounded me and kept me from walking too far away from the basics of my faith.
i recommend 2 things to everyone, carte blanch (sp?): live in another country for at least a few months and got to therapy for awhile. :-)
oh, one more thing.... it took me a good 3 or 4 months to get used to being at work from 8 to 10 hours a day. it was that long before i stopped coming home exhausted, unable to do much except eat the dinner my dad had made (lucky me that i lived at home for the first year i worked). work was definitely an adjustment.
6. Patrick said the following at 2:19 PM on May 2:
Actually, I floundered quite a bit after college. I ended up working a string of various temp jobs. But the various jobs eventually led me into working in computers or IT. Also, while I was working, I kept myself occupied, and at the same time, I continued trying to figure out what it was like to work in the real world and likewise what it was that I personally wanted to do with my life before the Lord, etc. Since then, however, I've applied to med school and been accepted. And now I can't wait to start next year. So, even though I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life right after college, by God's grace, in a way working helped allow me to do that. Thanks be to the Lord. :-)
By the way, I wonder if what you said here . . .
. . . might also apply to those of us seeking a godly spouse as well? Like, we expect to somehow "just know" when we meet "the one"? And anything "less" seems like "settling"?
7. single certain girl said the following at 2:31 PM on May 2:
ps... meant to add, in light of the whole 'anonymity breeds contempt' thing.... my name has always been linkable to my site, where you can contact me. nonetheless, i shall reveal that my real name is Mary Kate, and i live in cincinnati, ohio.
8. Annika said the following at 2:40 PM on May 2:
I graduate in two weeks with a degree in biology, and I'm going straight into a PhD program in September. My program will finish in 2013, but meanwhile I'm getting married in 2010.
It's going to be an adjustment, living in an apartment instead of a dorm for two years, and then trying to handle my first three years of marriage plus the last three years of my PhD concurrently! But I'm excited about it, and I'm sure with God's help, it will be a fun (and difficult) adventure.
9. Alex said the following at 3:46 PM on May 2:
I just graduated about a month ago. Life has been chaotic. I have similar feelings. I am not ready to start paying for my own stuff. I have amazing parents. I started taking online Master's degree classes. As long as I keep a job and do stuff around the house. They don't mind me living with them.
One thing that catches my attention in this blog is a cultural phenomenon that all of us Gen Ys are dealing with. Entitlement. We feel we are entitled to a lot more things than any other generation. Anyways, it is interesting. (Look who is talking, right here I am bumming off my parents housing) but I am working, doing ministry, and taking classes, so I feel proactive and like I am doing something important in my life. Which brings up another interesting Gen Y topic, doing something passionate and active with our lives. Our Generation not only wants to be theologically sound in sharing our faith but we also want to be responsible and take care of social issues around the world. Previous generations have took issues against each other as in conservative theology vs. liberal theology. But this battle is not an issue in our generation! Anyway, find out more about these topics on my blog if you are interested.
10. Rachael said the following at 4:30 PM on May 2:
Well, I've already revealed a lot of my "time line" in some shape or form on here...but here is a more "detailed" outline:
1) graduate from college
2) 2 years overseas (working)
3) 9 more months (different job, different part of same country)
4) Come back to states
5) Grad school - 2 years
6) work. "part-time" - quarter by quarter, unstable.
Options considered or thought was 'neat' along the way but never did:
Capernwray (overseas Bible schools), work in an international office (applied in random states I think, when I was overseas, but was 'unsuccessful'), Social Security (have a connection), go to Taiwan, L'Abri in Switzerland, etc...
Ah, the dreamer in me...I may not have partially pursued any 'adventures' for a few months now, so perhaps that's good, as I usually don't go all the way and actually participate...
11. amanda in taiwan said the following at 4:39 PM on May 2:
After finishing my BA, the two options I considered included serving overseas for two years (short term missions) or going to grad school so I could serve overseas longer than two years.
Right now, several mission organizations are offering partnerships with new graduates. Allowing them to work (ie. teach English) in the host country (so they can pay off school loans)while also partnering with a mission team to share the Good News.
12. James said the following at 5:07 PM on May 2:
Grad school and travelling were out the window immediately even before I finished college. I couldn't afford grad school, and that's why I couldn't travel: money.
Also, I didn't WANT to go to grad school yet (I'd thought about it, though, in the form of maybe going to seminary for a ThM + ordination), so I went career hunting.
I had to wait a semester, working as a substitute teacher and having 5 roommates (3 bedroom apartment.....bachelor pad central, and I was the only one out of school) so rent could be met. Then, almost literally, the job I now have dropped into my lap.
And I think I'll stay here a while. Traveling abroad is really out of the question until I retire, and if I get a grad degree it'll be for career-related reasons. I'm very happy to be out of school. Like I tell folks, I much prefer to be PAID to work my rear off than to PAY to work my rear off (aka, college). Working as an engineer with other engineers is much different than going to engineering classes with other engineering majors. Engineering majors have this funny idea that they're competing, when in the real world, engineers that work at the same place work better when they work together and don't compete with each other. I love it. My workplace is MUCH more condusive to creative problem-solving and such than school was. Why would I ever want to go back? I'm learning MORE, actually earning a good amount of money, getting to design instead of sit in lecture for hours only to do homework after, and I don't have to worry about exams or tests or grades. I'm evaluated yearly, yeah, but if I'm competent and a team player, things go well.
I'll continue up the engineering ladder to the position of staff engineer with just my bachelor's degree thanks. I might get a masters down the road, but it's no longer a "must do" for me any longer. Travelling around can wait till I'm retired and able to travel by going on foreign mission trips.
13. kaj said the following at 6:53 PM on May 2:
I've been out of college since 2001.
I lived with my parents when I left because I had almost no money. It could be rough at times. Relations with my parents improved when I moved out into an apartment of my own.
I've also been unemployed four different times, post-college.
It was tough because "reality" for me was my education left me inexperienced, unprepared, and unqualified for the graphic design career I wanted.
To complicate things further, I didn't even have a driver's license (I put money towards an education over money towards a car).
But it hasn't been all negative. I did eventually get a driver's license, and even learned to drive a stick shift. I went on a mission trip in El Salvador, and did volunteer work in Australia for nearly a year. I was able to save up money to get the computer I wanted.
I just realized today, as I was talking with a coworker, that there is no corporate ladder for me to climb. The way the job market is structured today, it's more like the game "Chutes and Ladders," but there are more chutes than there are ladders.
My life has not neatly fit into the "ideal" script touted by many Christian circles, let alone Corporate America. It's hard to not play the "comparison game" with my former high school/college classmates. Some have bought houses, or have married, and even on their second or third kid already.
For now, I have to be thankful I have a job, a car, a place to call home (apartment), my computer, my friends, and God.
14. Bob said the following at 7:52 PM on May 2:
From the perspective of a student about a year away from graduation, I honestly can't wait. I'm tired of school taking over my entire life. I'm ready to go to work during the day, but come back after I've done my time and have the rest of the day to myself (as well as weekends). I'm ready to do something vaguely meaningful and getting paid for it instead of wading through these classes, most of which have taught me nothing useful, and paying for it.
And, for those who are wondering, I know what this is like - for the last 3 summers I've worked full time, and it's good. After work every day, I had time to do whatever I felt like, whether that was spending time with my family or friends or just relaxing alone. Although I spend far more time than I "should" working on my cars during the school year, that's nothing compared to what I got to do over the summer. I can hardly wait another year for a permanent transition to this lifestyle!
15. Riley said the following at 9:41 PM on May 2:
I didn't start a real job til six months after finishing college. Things were tight financially (for 3 of those months I only had 61cents in my bank account) but at least I was living with my folks so I had no expenses.
Every day I would hunt down links to possible job opportunities, but nothing came of that. I spent alot of time trusting it all to God. Finally, someone rang me up and offered me a job. I took the job, even though it meant moving far away from my family to another city where I knew no one.
That was four years ago.
I like my job and I'm good at it, the pay is not that great but I still find I have more money than I know what to do with. In the end it's just a job. One I would gladly give up to fulfill my dream of how I thought my "Life After College" story should go.
Oh, yeah, I also find I have way too much time on my hands working only 8hrs when my friends are still studying. That makes it hard.
16. Joy W. said the following at 9:50 PM on May 2:
I did have to move home for a couple months after my last lease with college roommates ran out. That was difficult because I didn't have a teaching job lined up for the fall, and I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do.
I ended up getting a job three hours away from "home" a couple of weeks before school started. Once I got past the stress of having to move on such short notice, everything went fine.
I thought it was hard working my way through college, since I was responsible for most of my expenses. I paid my own tuition, rent, food, clothing costs, insurance...nearly everything, because my parents just didn't have the money. It made things pretty easy when it came time to strike out on my own though...I already knew how to be a grown-up!!!
17. ptschett said the following at 10:48 PM on May 2:
In some ways I wanted to graduate (4.5 years of pursuing an agricultural engineering degree is enough) and in some I didn't (I'd hoped to find a wife in those years, and nothing worked out.)
When I graduated in December '03 I didn't have a job lined up yet, so after I went to InterVarsity's Urbana conference I spent a few weeks at home trying to find work. Eventually I came across my current employer's openings, sent in a resume and later interviewed, and I'm still here, designing compact construction equipment, 4 years later.
18. Marisa said the following at 12:02 AM on May 3:
My transition to post-college life was a rude shock. It seems like there was very little preparation for the "reality" of existing in the "adult world." Although I was ready to be done with school, I missed my college friends and my church family. I went home with my diploma and my memories, having little idea what was next. I struggled to feel connected and satisfied with the relationships I found at home-- not having cultivated them for 3 years while I was away, I didn't have much to work with in old friendships. Plus I'd changed and grown so much (as had others), but people who knew me before had trouble accepting the growth. It's hard to escape people's perceptions of who you were.
Now, about two years out, I'm just starting to feel grounded in (and ok with!) this new phase, what I call the "weddings and babies and career-embarkment" phase. At least 5 of my college friends are currently pregnant, and more are getting engaged. (I’m in a wedding this summer, too.) Freshmen I met my senior year are getting engaged, for crying out loud! Makes me feel old-maidy, even though I'm only 22. It's a little scary that I'm now part of the age group that is experiencing such weighty endeavors as marriage and parenthood.
BUT, God has grown me a lot in the past two years as I've adjusted, by His grace. I have matured, and developed a professional poise through my job. I've learned to trust God in uncertainty and sometimes loneliness. God provided a way for my employer/company to pay for a master's degree, so I'll finish that in 6 weeks with no debt. (Hallelujah!!!! In response to both finishing soon, and not having debt.) I believe God provided the MA as the answer to, "what the heck is next after college?" Initially I did not want to do more school. (Didn’t I just finish all that? Why isn’t a bachelor’s good enough?) I'm already starting to see how He might use my shiny new degree in the future, though.
With degree completion immiment, I'm excited for the future. I've been accepted for a 3-year internship program starting this summer, dependent on receipt of final transcripts (shouldn't be a problem). Again, I see God's hand at work, providing opportunities. My parents are letting me live at home as long as I'm being productive-- working on my degree, holding a job, serving at church, etc.
Is it what I envisioned? Nope! Honestly, the whole "having a career" thing took me by surprise. Never once considered what sort of job I'd want to get. Growing up, I sort of assumed I'd get married right out of college; that's kind of the expected formula, especially at a Christian college. But it didn't happen. I'm still figuring out the balance of "God will provide; be content" and "knock persistently and ask in faith." Rustle the leaves and snap some twigs, as it were.
I'm toying with the idea of moving into an apartment, but my frugal side protests when my parents are perfectly willing to let me stay. I could save so much! Or give to missionaries!
As far as responsibilities and adulthood-- I'm very willing to buckle down and be mature. I want to pay my fair share, and am surprised people keep trying to be easy on me. I want to hold my own with other adults.
I keep thinking I'd prefer to have a more blatantly 'spiritual' job-- like foreign missions, or working for some missions organization. Go overseas and teach English for a year. Hold babies, live in the dirt, interact with a different culture. Get off my wealthy Western self-absorption soapbox. Something that explicitly states, "we're about making Jesus known!" But God has led me to a civil service career, and I recognize whatever I do can be worship, if I do it heartily, as unto Him.
Life is short. Eternity matters. More important than the ultimately paltry details of which job I take or when I marry,
I have to ask myself: Am I investing in temporal things, or eternal? Where’s my focus? Am I striving to obey God each day? Do I seek first His kingdom, attempt to know Him more, make it my aim to please Him?
I have so far to go, it’s not even funny. But I’ve been getting a lot out of Piper’s “don’t waste your life” concept recently. Deep down, I think we all crave significance, that reassurance that we’re part of something bigger and more important than ourselves. How hollow an existence to live only for oneself.
Praise God He sent His Son to die for those who were dead in their sins, his enemies! There is now no condemnation for those in Christ, and He's made us his own, given us new life, chosen to reveal Himself to us! I never want to get over that amazing reality.
Wow, 800 words. I think I should stop now. :) (btw, I’m a Word nerd…)
Blessings to you all in the exploration of this awful, thrilling phase.
19. Bethany D. said the following at 12:05 AM on May 3:
I got married three weeks after I finished college classes in May 2007. At that point I bumped up my part-time job to full-time so I could put my husband through his last semester of college. Then he got a full time job right after graduation in Dec 2007, we moved so he could start work in January 2008, and I've been a happily unemployed homemaker ever since. I probably SHOULD get a job too to start shrinking our student loans and saving for a baby - but I don't really WANT to work. I'm perfectly content to look after our home, pursue my hobbies, do some volunteering, and spend time helping my family with needs ranging from cross-state moves to surgery and hospitalization. Maybe it's selfish, but I'm fine with the traditional splitting of provider/caretaker gender roles - I don't have time or energy to try to do both!
20. Dn said the following at 2:16 AM on May 3:
I graduated in 2006. I spent a year living at home with my mom and my grandmother while working at the job I had been working at during breaks for the past two years (floor staff at a movie theatre), which my grandmother was convinced was a terrible idea and attending graduate school for my master of arts in teaching.
I worked my way up the corporate ladder from floor staff to eventually a theatre manager in about a year. Then I moved into an apartment with some guys I went to undergrad with, and have been on my own for almost a full year.
Now I've graduated and am looking for a teaching position in nearby school districts, while keeping my theatre manager job for income. And right now things seem to look like I'll be heading back to my hometown, but not back to living with my mom and grandma, thankfully.
21. Kyra said the following at 9:18 AM on May 3:
Although I am twenty seven and graduated quite some time ago, the career search is an issue for me right now. In short, at present I find myself a single mother of a disabled toddler, unemployed, and living with my parents. Not what I had in mind five years ago.
All through high school and college, I worked summers as a daycare assistant. More to get over my fear of children than because I liked them :) After graduating with an English degree and a Music degree (my "fall back" major...yeah right.) I continued on to grad school (English) while also working full time at a mortgage company and then as a broker trainee at a finance firm. The entire time I lved on my own across the country from the rest of my family.
The road blocks I have come across in seeking a career at this point are:
1) a mixed bag of skills rather than several years experience in one area. I don't want to have to start entry level anything again!
2) Although govt. programs have really helped me out, sometimes I feel like our govt. doesn't want "people like me" to work. My son's medical expenses are so unbelievable, if I make over a certain salary we no longer qualify for govt. aid. Yet, if I make under a certain salary, it will be impossible for me to live on my own, save for a home, etc. I feel stuck.
3) Pride. After seven years of higher education and $50K in student loans I want a job that actually impresses people and justifies all of my previous expenses. Plus I need to make the salary of two people and then some in order to provide for my son.
4) Yes, the "passion" thing. Seems to me like others my age love their jobs and have always known what they wanted to do. I want to know my job is worth being away from my son 40hrs/week, is what I want to do AND what God wants me to do. Tall order.
Sorry this was long but I hope my reflections have helped some others.
22. BDB said the following at 2:18 PM on May 3:
I always assumed I'd go straight to graduate school. But I didn't get into the two schools I applied to the first time, so I got a job from an internship instead. It was good to start working a full-time job immediately. It forced me to learn things, such as how to work better on a team instead of as an individual contributor.
The other thing was going to a new church. It was small - there was no college, college/career, or young adults ministry to speak of. I joined a small group with a bunch of people 20 years older than me. The magnitude of their prayer requests wa overwhelming. Kind of like the Intuit guy who became a 'man' by killing a polar bear. I remember thinkng, "How am I going to do this?"
Eventually I realized how many of these prayer requests stemmed from bad decisions made by other members of the family that were impacting parents, siblings, children. So I buckled down and started learning operational things like how to budget. Getting one's act together and learning discipline does pay dividends. But it's not necessarily fun at the time!
23. Rachael said the following at 10:31 PM on May 3:
BDB wrote:
"The magnitude of their prayer requests wa overwhelming"
-->It is neat that they were willing to share 'actual prayer requests' (what was on their hearts). Honestly, I don't always feel free to share deeper personal requests. But perhaps if some people share their hearts, it will encourage others to follow suit. Often, times allotted for prayer in small groups seem to be to be a bit short-changed. Anyway, it's neat that your former group was willing to share their hearts for prayer!
24. Jesse said the following at 11:00 PM on May 3:
After a month off, I dove right into my career in ministry. I also started my own small business as a musician: teaching a local drumline, giving private lessons, and performing freelance. After one semester, I enrolled in seminary and go to class one day a week along with my other two jobs. I absolutely love my career more than I can say!
Now, a year later, I'm engaged and am about to buy a house. God is good. I'm so glad I didn't go along with my plans to be an engineer. God's ideas are way better...and a whole lot more fun.
25. Kate said the following at 8:51 AM on May 4:
Although I have two years still to go til my undergrad's done, and I've only worked full time one summer, I'd have to say ditto to what Bob (#14) said.
I'm ready to be done with school; I want to be able to get a job that goes away when I leave, and all that. I even have one that's basically just waiting for me to get my BA...so i'm just biding my time in school, but at this point I don't see any major hurdles to have to jump once I've graduated.
It's really good to hear from those of you who are finished, as it gives a bit of a reality check to the dreaming (not in a bad way, though; just brings a bit of realism where there tends to be a lack).
26. Esther said the following at 4:46 PM on May 4:
One week after graduation, I started a job as a farm hand at a diversified fruit farm, where I spent the next year supervising crews of pickers, pruning apple trees and learning to handle all sorts of equipment (try to imagine a 5'2" blonde driving a dump truck). I knew I wanted to be involved with agriculture, but I hadn't planned on the living alone after coming from a large family, and a close circle of college friends. It felt like it took a long time to find a good church, and even longer to build friendships. I've had two jobs since then, but with each one, I feel as if God has had some specific purpose, that I wouldn't have been ready to make the next step without the first one. The hard thing has been realizing that I not "there" yet. I want to settle, to put down roots, but it's not to be. Each job, each place has been 'right' for a time, but eventually it becomes wrong, and me clinging to the old thing is not helpful. I've also had to realize that just because I need to leave something behind, doesn't mean that I hadn't understood God's call to be there in the first place.
27. BDB said the following at 4:58 PM on May 4:
Rachael (#23) wrote:
>>Often, times allotted for prayer in small groups seem to be to be a bit short-changed. Anyway, it's neat that your former group was willing to share their hearts for prayer!<<
Interesting observation...I wonder if the fact that it was an older group of believers made a difference.
28. single certain girl said the following at 10:21 AM on May 5:
hey kaj (#13)
i'm sorry there's no 'ladder to climb' at your current company. if you like being a designer, then i encourage to find a place with a good company culture where there is a ladder to climb. i work at a great agency as a web designer, and have done really well here (to my own great surprise!) i know how it is; sometimes you fee like you're just a production monkey. but seriously... there are places where you can grow and be challenged and take on more responsibility (and get paid for it). i hope you can find a place like that! hang in there!
29. Nicole said the following at 12:15 PM on May 5:
The first year after college was an adjustment for me. I lived with my parents while I saved money to get my own place. Let's just say our relationship is so much better when I don't live there! The 9-6 job I landed wasn't the best, but it was temporary. I found a new church, but didn't fit into the "in" crowd who had been around all during college (I went away to college).
After that first year though, life improved tremendously! I had my own apartment with a great roommate, switched churches where I got involved in a post-college group and I got a much better job. Life was a great balance of responsibility and fun. I absolutely loved college life, but the stability of earning a decent, consistent paycheck has lots of rewards. Now that I am married (10 years later) life just keeps getting better.
Esther said "I've also had to realize that just because I need to leave something behind, doesn't mean that I hadn't understood God's call to be there in the first place." This is great wisdom. Life changes and brings different seasons. One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that sometimes you have to leave one season behind and move on to the next and not to be scared to do so!
30. Rachael said the following at 2:32 PM on May 5:
BDB (27),
Actually I may be the youngest person (27 yrs), and definitely youngest single person, at one of my small groups. There are couples, including an older (though not "older older") couple. I wonder if often times (not always) couples don't feel a desire to share very deep things because they can share them with each other. And then I think personalities/pressure to 'hurry', others' examples (or lack thereof) are factors as well...