When college graduation feels more depressing than exciting

You’ve graduated college and earned your degree. You thought you’d feel elated. You’re finally done with school, and this is a huge accomplishment. 

But you’re surprised to find you instead feel sad and lonely. Rather than excited and energized about what’s ahead, you feel hopeless about the future. This could be a sign of post-college depression. It’s more common than you might think. Rates of depression in college-aged young adults (aged 18 to 25) more than doubled between 2010 and 2020 ^[1]. 

If you’re facing depression after graduating, you’re not alone, and a therapist can help you get through it. 

Symptoms of post-grad depression

Feeling sad or down from time to time is normal. But sadness that lasts longer than normal or makes it hard to function could signal a mental health condition, like depression. The symptoms of depression can affect people of any age or life stage. 

Watch out for these signs: 

• Low mood: You feel sad, apathetic, or miserable most days. You can’t be bothered to look for a job. If you’re living back home, you might feel irritable around family.

• Fatigue: Depression significantly affects your energy levels. You might feel exhausted all the time. You might stop exercising, even if you were an athlete in college. This lack of activity can make you feel even more depressed.

• Changes in eating habits: You might find that you’re eating a lot more than usual or eating unhealthier foods like sweets. Or you might have the opposite experience and not have much of an appetite. 

• Changes in sleeping patterns: You can also start to sleep more or less than you used to. Some people stay up all night tossing and turning, while others sleep through the day.

• Brain fog or lack of focus: You feel like you can’t think clearly. Instead of applying for jobs or setting goals, you find yourself constantly playing video games or scrolling social media. 

• Feelings of guilt or worthlessness: Now that you’ve finished school, you feel like you lost a part of your identity. Maybe you don’t feel like you deserve to celebrate your accomplishments, or you compare yourself to others your age.

In addition to these core symptoms, you might also:

• Unhealthy use of alcohol or drugs to cope with your feelings

• Socially isolate or stop reaching out to your friends

• Have coexisting anxiety symptoms, like worrying about the future 

• Struggle with low self-esteem or feeling like you’re “not good enough”

• Have thoughts about wanting to die or disappear, like, “Things would be easier if I just didn’t wake up tomorrow. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about finding a job.” 

*The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7, confidential support with trained crisis counselors. If you or a loved one is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, please call or text 988. 

If experiencing a life-threatening emergency or you need immediate help, please call 911.

Why life after college can feel depressing

Graduating college is a big life change. For some people, it can feel like a loss and lead to grief. Any change — including those that are typically considered “happy,” like marriage — can be stressful. And when you’re under stress, you can be more at risk for developing depression. 

Many specific experiences that come with graduating college can make you more vulnerable to depression too. These include:

Loss of identity

For years, you’ve identified as a “student,” “athlete,” or a member of a fraternity or sorority. Now that you’ve graduated, you might wonder who you are and where you belong in the world. You might feel adrift,  and it can take some time to rebuild your identity after college. 

Loneliness

College also comes with a built-in social network, especially if you live on campus or participate in Greek life or other extracurriculars. When you graduate, especially if you move away, you could feel like you’ve lost all of your social connections. This can cause you to feel incredibly lonely.

Loss of structure

There’s also a built-in structure that comes with college. You need to attend classes at certain times, study for exams on certain dates. When you graduate college, you lose this structure, especially if you don’t have a job right away.

You might not know what to do with your time. This can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms like substance use or oversleeping.

Financial and employment insecurity

For most people, graduation from college also comes with financial stressors. Scholarship and grant money has ended, and you need to find another source of income. You need to start paying back your student loans soon. 

Depending on your area of study, it might be difficult to find a job in your field, which can increase stress and anxiety.

Hopelessness about the future

We, no doubt, live in a different world than we did a few decades ago, and this can significantly affect college graduates of today. You might have worries about the economy, politics, or the environment that cause hopelessness. You now need to be an adult in this world, but it may not be a world that you’re proud of. 

Pre-existing depression

Lastly, many college students — research shows nearly 50% ^[2] — live with depression while they’re in school. So if you already experienced depression to begin with, you might find that symptoms get worse when you’re experiencing a big life change.

Healthy ways to deal with post-college blues

Depression can feel overwhelming and like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel — especially if you’re dealing with practical stressors, like unemployment or moving. But there’s hope, and it’s possible to manage post-grad depression while you’re entering this new chapter of life. 

Consider these tips: 

• Stay connected to your friends. Even if you’ve moved away from your college town, use technology to stay in touch with your social network. If you can, connect with your local friends as well. It’s important not to isolate during this time, even when it’s tempting.

• Tell your family and friends. Depression is nothing to feel ashamed about. Talk to your family and friends about feeling depressed, and ask for their support. It can help you feel less alone, and you may be surprised to find that others have had similar experiences. 

• Stay active. The loss of routine that comes with graduation can lead you to be less active, and depression can make that worse. You may have also lost access to a gym or rec center after you graduated. As much as possible, stay physically active. Research shows ^[3] that this can help boost your mood.

• Make a plan. Uncertainty can be challenging. Not knowing what’s next can lead to apathy or hopelessness. Making a plan — even if just for the next week — can help you feel more focused and motivated. For example, you might apply to a certain number of jobs per day or work toward finding a mentor.

• Get professional support. A therapist can help you learn to cope with post-college depression in healthy ways. Together, you’ll create a care plan, which might include self-care or medication if needed.

Clinician’s take

A common mistake is trying to ‘fix’ post-college depression by rushing into big life decisions. I encourage graduates to slow down, adjust to the transition, and build small routines before trying to overhaul their whole future.

Brandy Chalmers, LPC

Clinical reviewer