One of the most exciting parts of leaving college is leaving behind the scripted, predictable rhythm of school.

It can also be the scariest part. There's no direction, no guidance, and no "right" path to follow.

But embracing change and being open to new experiences can also make this year one of the happiest, most exciting times of your life. 

Here's what the Class of 2022 has to say about post-grad life one year after leaving college — and their best advice for the Class of 2023: 

Joey Varamo, 23, Westchester, New York

Varamo graduated from Marist College in May 2022 and has been working as a digital media investment associate at ICON International since June. 

'There's advantages to being young in the workplace'

Starting your first job post-college can be really intimidating — and while most of us will face a steep learning curve, there are advantages to being young in the workplace. You're bringing in a fresh perspective, new skills and probably a better grasp of technology. 

You have to go in with that confident attitude and remind yourself that the company is going to benefit from the work you put in, and the impact you will have. You were given this opportunity for a reason, so don't doubt yourself.

Caleyah Gaither, 23, Oakland, California

Gaither graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in May 2022 and started working as a university relations program manager at Apple in June. 

'Give yourself grace'

We're young, we're not supposed to have everything figured out as soon we leave college. Our generation moves so quickly and has such high expectations of ourselves. But give yourself grace. Allow yourself to experience everything, feel things and trust that things will work out because you're going to learn from everything, both good and bad. Don't be so hard on yourself, and enjoy every moment as much as you can. 

'Embrace change'

The world gets so much bigger after college. You don't turn into dust when you graduate. You can still re-invent yourself, find new hobbies, go out and meet new people. 

I went to a small school where I knew almost everyone, so it was scary to be thrown into the real world and move to a place where I knew no one. After college, your friends change, your responsibilities change, your routine and habits change. 

But I've learned one thing about post-grad life, it's this: Embrace change. Moving to a new city was overwhelming at first, but I started looking at it as a chance to experiment and put myself out there. I started DJing after work and on weekends, which has been a really fun way to express myself and be creative. Once I allowed myself to have the space to try new things, I became so much happier. 

Iva Petrova, 21, Madison, Wisconsin

Petrova stayed in Madison, Wisconsin after graduating from the University of Wisconsin in May 2022 to work at the state capitol as a legislative assistant. She is attending law school at UW Madison in the fall.

'Talk to as many people as you can'

Your first year can be really lonely, especially if you're moving away from your friends. Introducing yourself to people can be tough, but it's even harder to make that transition alone. Talk to as many people as you can! If you see someone at the grocery store with a cool outfit on, give them a compliment and introduce yourself. You never know who could turn into a possible connection for you.

Leaning on mutual connections helped me make friends in Madison: One of my co-workers has a big group of friends and invited me to go to a concert with them, which was a really nice way for me to expose myself to new people. It's hard to get over that initial hurdle of being nervous, but what's the worst that can happen?

'Don't be afraid to take time off from work'

When I started my first job, I barely had any PTO [paid time off] and I was scared to use it all and be judged or miss out on anything important at work. If I could go back, I would tell myself to enjoy life a little bit more. I wish I realized that it was not that serious sooner.

There were a few trips with friends that I missed out on this summer because I was too nervous to ask my boss to take off work or thought I had too much going on at work to take a vacation. Now is the time to enjoy life – don't be afraid to take time off from work, travel and take advantage of every opportunity to explore new places.

Kalidas Shanti, 23, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Shanti graduated from Amherst College in May 2022 and started working as a data analyst at Mathematica in October. 

'You can't enjoy your life if you burn yourself out'

Leaving college is another opportunity to re-imagine yourself, but you can't do that without rest. I've learned a lot about myself in the past year, but the most important habit I've developed is making time to rest. 

Everything happens so fast in college between classes and exams that it's hard to slow down or take breaks, but now, not having homework and having more free time in my schedule, I'm able to do that. For example, I recently injured my toe in a dance battle, and in college, I would have pushed through the pain and continued to attend dance crew practices, but now, I know better, and I took some time off. You can't enjoy your life, or your accomplishments, if you burn yourself out.

Kristen Smith, 23, New York, New York

Smith graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in May 2022 and moved to New York City weeks later to work at a health-care marketing company. In March 2023, she switched jobs and is now an editorial assistant at Wirecutter.

'It's OK to quit a job that isn't the best fit for you'

I put a lot of pressure on myself to find a job before graduating because all of my friends and classmates had offers lined up, but I wasn't being thoughtful about what, exactly, I wanted out of a job, and what would be the best fit for my skills and experiences. 

I quickly realized that my first job wasn't the right role for me, and I was really stressed because I had it in my head that I had to stay at a job for at least a year before quitting. It's intimidating to let go of that societal norm, but once I made the decision to leave, I was able to be a lot more intentional about my job search and find a role that I really love. It's OK to quit a job that isn't the best fit for you. 

Making that leap has made me so much more confident in making hard decisions, and encouraged me to be more purposeful about my career. So, I'd tell all soon-to-be grads to listen to your gut, and also make a list of priorities and values to guide your job search.

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