Erica Young Reitz - After College: Navigating Transitions, Relationships and Faith

InterVarsity Press
P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426

2016 by Erica Young Reitz

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from InterVarsity Press.

InterVarsity Press is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, a movement of students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities, colleges and schools of nursing in the United States of America, and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. For information about local and regional activities, visit intervarsity.org .

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

While any stories in this book are true, some names and identifying information may have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

Lyrics from Painting Pictures of Egypt: 1999 Sara Groves Music (admin. by Music Services). All Rights Reserved. ASCAP. Used by permission.

Cover design: Cindy Kiple
Images: model car on map: Imagesource/Glow Images
map and key: DNY59/iStockphoto

ISBN 978-0-8308-9436-9 (digital)
ISBN 978-0-8308-4460-9 (print)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Reitz, Erica Young, 1980- author.
Title: After college : navigating transitions, relationships, and faith /
Erica Young Reitz.
Description: Downers Grove : InterVarsity Press, 2016. | Includes
bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016010694 (print) | LCCN 2016011633 (ebook) | ISBN
9780830844609 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780830894369 (eBook)
Subjects: LCSH: Young adultsReligious life. | Christian life.
Classification: LCC BV4529.2 .R45 2016 (print) | LCC BV4529.2 (ebook) | DDC
248.8/34dc23
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016010694

For our Senior EXIT students past, present and future,

and for every recent college graduate, igbok (its gonna be okay)

YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENCOUNTER the struggle and success stories of many alumni. While all quotes and stories are real, some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

As you enter this book and join your story with theirs, I invite you to find one or more friends to read it with you. My hope is that any individual will find encouragement in these pages, but I believe the experience will be richer and more meaningful if shared with others.

Enjoy the journey!

Note on terminology: When referring to individuals, Ive opted to use the casual alum instead of the formal alumna or alumnus.

So, are you ready for life after college?

Leaving the gates of university life often comes with the expectation that were ready for whats on the other side. But what does readiness even mean? Some students feel ready in September of their senior year (get me out of here!) while otherswho may actually be more equipped for the real world than they realizedread college coming to a close. In the scurry of rsum preparations and job applications, its easy to reduce readiness to our emotions about entering adulthood or to a list of key items necessary for life on our own.

But preparedness is not just about securing a job and apartment, or a paycheck in hand. Its about much more.

Its about preparing not just for a career but for a life of faithfulness in a complex world. Its about connecting whats happened in the classroom for the last four years to our callingto what we will do and who we will be after college. Its about practical tools and resources for navigating the transition in areas such as budgeting, finding community and making decisions. Its about having a healthy perspective and proper expectations. Its about finding answers to questions we may not even know we should be asking. And its about knowing its going to be okay when we dont have the answers right away.

Working with hundreds of seniors and recent graduates over the last decade, I have learned that leaving college does not automatically mean readiness for what comes next. As evidenced by the growing conversation in higher education regarding senior-year preparedness, lots of recent graduates are floundering on many fronts as they emerge into adulthood. Observing this trend forced my colleagues and me to ask, What can we do during the college years, especially senior year, to prepare our students for life after graduation?

Our answer led to the launch of a senior-year experience called Senior EXIT. With a team of colaborers, I have spent the last ten years helping seniors at Penn State University prepare for the transition into the next phase. Through Senior EXIT we address both the philosophical and the practical realities of post-college life. We help seniors pack their bags with the resources they will need to faithfully navigate the changes, challenges and choices of the first year out. Our hope is not only to prepare students to successfully exit college but also to see them flourish in the months and years that follow.

This book is a culmination of my masters studies and professional experience working with seniors and recent graduates, but it is also personal. My own transition out of college wasnt the smoothest. Though I had a good head on my shoulders, a great educational experience, strong faith and a loving family, entering the real world after seventeen straight years of school (grade school, middle school, high school and college) came as a shock to the system in ways no one had prepared me to consider. I struggled with loneliness as my close friends and I scattered across the country, I felt directionless in my career, and I didnt know how to manage my minimal income. On a deeper level, I wrestled with questions of faith, doubt and identity. I was used to playing the role of a student, and I didnt know how to measure success in a system that wasnt set up like college. Simply put, I struggled to make life work in many areas, andfor a timeI thought I was the only one who felt this way.

Im certain my own story shapes my passion for working with college seniors. I love being able to address topics that are crucial for a successful transition from a faith-based perspective. As one graduating senior put it, College [professors, advisers, etc.] stresses the importance of preparing for graduation and the job, but they cover none of the topics that concern me most. The transition is multifaceted, and anyone going through it needs support on all fronts. This is where this book steps in.

This book is about pursing faithfulness in life after college. It can feel overwhelming as we consider all the ways were called to be faithful as well as all the potential challenges. Dont worry; well take this step by step, topic by topic. Though the issues related to the transition are interwoven, well take this on in three parts. Well start by looking at what it means to be faithful in our relationship with Christhow to cultivate real faith in the face of real-world demands. Then well discuss faithfulness to communityhow to find and foster healthy relationships with others. Last well talk about faithfulness to our callinghow to discern our vocation and honor God in our output to the world.