A sneak peek of the post-undergrad life
Informal interviews of various alumni I’ve spoken to throughout the years
These answers are paraphrased from different convos I’ve had both online and in-person with people who’ve already graduated from undergrad, as I wasn’t rapidly scribbling notes or recording convos like I used to for the Chronicle. Their identities will remain anonymous to respect their confidentiality.
Q: Do you miss Duke?
A1: I do. I miss having so many things to do. There was always something going on on campus, and I miss that. I miss being able to visit a friend’s dorm when bored on a weeknight — you know, just drop by and say hi. That sort of thing. It gets a lot harder to keep up with friends after graduation.
A2: I miss the people and the faculty. People don’t always know this, but the faculty at Duke are really cool.
Q: What do you think was the point of going to Duke?
A: To make rich friends. *laughs* I don’t know, to be honest. I don’t feel like the academics prepared me for the real world at all. But all the positions I took on in extracurricular activities — those gave me more job training than any class ever did.
Q: What do you think about Duke culture?
A: It was so toxic. The LGBTQ+ community wasn’t very big on campus, and I never felt safe to be myself on campus. I’m doing so much better in San Francisco now.
Q: Have you ever thought about what would’ve happened if you’d attended a state university instead?
A: Yes, I have, especially in the beginning. But at the end of the day, I think I still would’ve wanted to go to Duke. I had a full ride to the state university at home, but I think Duke’s done so much more for me. It’s broadened my perspective and allowed me to interact with people from all sorts of backgrounds. And you can’t get that from a state school.
Q: What’s life post-Duke like?
A: Well. First off, it’s a lot harder to make and keep friends. At least, friends who are your age. At my job, I’ve made friends with people, but they’re mostly middle-aged. Some of them have been working for the company for years, you know. I think what a lot of people don’t realize is that undergrad is the last time you get to be surrounded by your peers. You don’t get that as much in grad school or in the real world afterwards.
Q: How many of your college friends do you still keep in touch with?
A: I’ve fallen out of touch with most of them, but I still talk to one or two. Others I’ll Snapchat from time to time, but I don’t keep up with most of my college friends on a day-to-day basis.
The remaining parts are a compilation of what I’ve read and heard through various places: podcasts, articles, and more.
So there are two main lines of thought about college:
- It prepares you for the real world.
- It doesn’t prepare you for the real world.
Graduation speeches given by student speakers and commencement speakers alike may tout the first.
I don’t believe it, though.
Based on what my friends have told me, Duke didn’t prepare them for the real world at all.
Not in terms of adult life nor professional life.
But I do believe that you earned soft or hard skills through the classes you took. And it’s mostly a matter of framing them in professional settings for you to get the “bang for your buck” from your Duke degree.
These could be skills like:
- Leadership
- Communication
- Analytical skills
- Research
- Quantitative or data-oriented
- People/networking
- Respect for diversity and inclusion initiatives
And so much more. It all depends on how you choose to tell your story about Duke. What did you learn? How far have you come? What changed you? What didn’t?
But also, if you’re facing an uncertain future, know that there are plenty of Duke grads who took some time to figure things out. A year or two. Or more. Just to find out what worked for them, what didn’t, and what really made them excited to get out of bed every morning.
Just know that life is a nonlinear path. You may wind up taking unexpected twists and turns. Things rarely (if ever) go according to plan.
So take it all in stride.
And most of all, don’t take life too seriously. Laugh at yourself and the world — we could always use more of that.
Laugh in the face of failure and rejection. And know your worth.
I know that every person who’s made it through college has been through so much. And I know that they’re destined for even better things.
Here’s to a fulfilling post-grad life. :)
