Five Things Every Recent Community College Graduate Should Do

After years of school, finally entering the “real world” is certainly cause for celebration. Graduating from college is an incredible achievement and with it comes unlimited opportunities for the future.

But what exactly do you do after you graduate from community college? What are your first steps?

Many community college students spend so much time and effort focusing on passing their classes and keeping up their GPA that they fail to really think about what comes next. You don’t necessarily need to plan the next ten years of your life down to the finest detail, but you should have some kind of game plan in place for when you finish school. If you aren’t quite sure what to do after you finish community college, here are five suggestions.

1. Update Your Resume and Beef Up Your Interview Skills

The whole point of going to college is to get the education and experience you need to land your dream job. Just because you have the right degree, however, doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get the job you want. You need to make yourself look valuable to potential employers and that largely comes down to two things – your resume and your interview skills.

When you apply for a job, potential employers will look at your resume first. If they don’t like what they see, you’re unlikely to make it past that first round of cuts and you probably won’t get an interview. You could be the most charismatic person in the world, capable of crushing every

There was a time when obtaining a college degree almost guaranteed you a job after graduation. Unfortunately, that no longer seems to be the case. Hundreds of thousands of college graduates enter the “real world” each year and many of them struggle to find a job in their field, no less a job at all.

Many college graduates find that entry level positions require work experience – experience they can’t get if no one will give them a job. Add to that the challenge of being labeled a “millennial,” and finding steady employment after graduation is like finding a diamond in the rough.

So, how do you break through the millennial stereotype to land your first job? Keep reading to learn what the top millennial stereotypes are and how to overcome them to get a job.

What Are the Most Common Stereotypes About Millenials?

First and foremost, it needs to be established exactly what a millennial is. There is some confusion regarding which ages fall into the millennial category, but most researchers agree that millennials are the generation born between 1980 and 1996. People born during this generation have been assigned all kinds of labels including lazy and entitled. The more these labels are used, the more they perpetuate the stereotype – a stereotype that may or may not have any foundation in truth. Here are some of the most common stereotypes (and myths) assigned to the millennial generation:

• They are the “me generation,” only concerned about themselves.
• Millennials are not loyal to their

Mental illness is still somewhat of a taboo subject, even though it affects millions of Americans of all ages. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, about 1 in 5 American adults suffer from some form of mental illness but only 41% of those with mental illness ever seek treatment. The stigma against mental illness makes it difficult for people who struggle with it to reach out for help, especially when they are young and may not be sure what’s going on.

Unfortunately, mental illness is very common in college students and it can impact more than just academic performance – it can affect quality of life as well. Keep reading to learn more about common mental health issues as well as the challenges they create for students and how to manage them.

Understanding Common Mental Health Issues

There are many different forms of mental illness and they affect people in different ways. Though mental health issues are vast and varied, there are some more common than others. The top mental health issues facing college students include the following:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Eating Disorders
• Addiction

Depression is not just one of the most common forms of mental illness overall – it also affects as many as 36% of college students on some level. This condition is characterized by low mood, sadness, hopelessness, and changes in sleep, weight, and appetite. Anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults over the age of 18, but only 30% ever seek treatment. This condition causes irritability, stress, fearfulness, sweating, irregular heartbeat, and headaches.

Everyone experiences stress from time to time but, for many college students, stress is a constant companion. The pressure of maintaining good grades in multiple classes while engaging in extra-curriculars and keeping up with friends can be draining and, in some cases, it leads to anxiety, depression, or more serious consequences. Keep reading to learn about some of the most common causes of stress in college as well as its effect on your mental and physical health. You’ll also receive some tips for reducing and managing your stress.

Why is College So Stressful?

According to the National College Health Assessment, nearly 50% of undergraduate students reported feeling overwhelmed by their academic responsibilities. Furthermore, the National Institute of Health reports that 30% of college students experience profound depression, the symptoms of which are often confused with extreme stress. But what is it that makes college so stressful? Here are some of the most commonly reported causes of stress in college students:

• Living away from home for the first time
• Pressure to perform well on school work and tests
• The financial burdens of college
• The pressure to land a good job after school

Though college can be a great time to explore new things and to blaze your own trail, for many students it is their first time being away from home and that can be challenging. Living in an unfamiliar environment around unfamiliar people can be overwhelming for the first few weeks of school and some students take longer than others to develop a support network.

Though many people assume that community college is somehow less of a “real” school than traditional colleges and universities, students at community college must go through the same admissions process. Community colleges each have their own set of requirements for potential students which vary depending on a number of factors. The size of the school, its location, and the programs offered will all affect the admissions process.

Though each school is unique in terms of its requirements, the same basic rules apply for all college applicants. You’ll need to have some kind of standardized test score (either SAT or ACT) and a high school transcript. You may be required to submit letters of recommendation and some kind of personal essay. The admissions team will also want to know about any extra-curricular activities you’ve been involved in because they are looking to create a diverse, well-rounded student body. Keep reading to learn some simple tips for bulking up your community college application.

What Do Admissions Officers Look For?

When a college admissions officer looks over your application, there are several things they’re going to look for. First of all, they’re going to look at your high school transcript but, despite what you might have been told, your grades aren’t the only thing they consider. More important than the grades you get in your classes are the classes themselves as well as the difficulty of the high school curriculum as a whole. Admissions officers look to make sure that students take at least