Overcoming Post Graduate Depression | Haydee Alonso | TEDxUTEP

Haydee Alonso shares her personal experience with post-graduate depression and how she overcame it. Haydee Alonso is a recent graduate of the world-renowned Royal College of Art in London, specializing in Jewellery and Metal. She was born in the border region of El Paso, Texas, USA and Ciudad Juarez, Chih, Mexico. Wedged between “no man’s land” Haydee has been forced to alternate between cultures and customs in an infinite attempt to connect.
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[dankprincessbeauty]

This is so real. I was at my lowest when I graduated college...I thought it was everything I wanted, but realized a degree didnt do anything but push me into debt and depression

[twirlybird]

Graduating with a bachelor’s was my only focus as a student. Now that I recently graduated, the future is unknown. I don’t know which route to take and feel stuck. I try to have a positive mindset but each day that I submit job applications and don’t get a response is another stab to how I feel. This video made me realize that I’m not alone. I’m going to get through it one way or another. Thanks for the advice.

[jomama]

I just finished my undergraduate studies and technically graduated but because of the pandemic, our student life was cut short and graduation ceremony was cancelled. Not having closure from that student phase makes it worse. It all happens so suddenly that the shift is too overwhelming. I find myself breaking down from time to time cause I feel so lost. Adults have always warned me about the struggle after graduating yet here I am, totally under armoured

[thelearner]

I just feel like I lost the point of living after graduation… everything suddenly becomes so gloomy and hopeless

[SlightysBack]

I’ve graduated 4 days ago, and already feel lost. No structure anymore, just a buzzing question of what I should do and be, which leaves me somewhat paralyzed.

[dorothyspeaks]

So thankful for this video. I am watching this and crying in the library. Recently graduated with my masters and I have no idea what the future holds. I am going to fight this depression though... stay strong yall.

Update: I have had 2 jobs within my Career since this post!! Thank you for the kind words and for those that are bitter in the comments back Tf off.

[roxanneg]

I'm going through the exact same thing! It seems everyone is going places except me. This is not what I had imagined :(

[larafabi]

im at my lowest rn because i just realised that i spent the best years of my life in college and now im lost
i made friends, i became myself... now that im back home i just keep remembering memories and cry

[laurenenglish]

So crazy that no one talks about this.. hits hard how much uni displaces you once you’re done

[victoriamadeline]

Here I am, I got to this point where I questioned everything. Social Media is toxic.. No matter how hard I tried to not compare myself and counting my blessings I can't help but feel like a failure each day. Graduate this year, still no job. Hundreds of applications. Idk where my life heads to. Simply just existing without a purpose. I thought after graduate life's would eventually make sense, but it isn't. And I cry for help. Good luck everyone

[j.f.]

Unemployed after a year of finishing college. I’m even thinking of studying something else. Totally get that drifting feeling. I never really had a dream job or anything; but also imagined myself in a lot of different fields. Maybe I’ll do a masters degree just to keep me going somewhere. Dont wanna end up at a telemarketing gig but I’m not really getting anymore chances with the pandemic. Living in a third world country sucks. Be grateful guys; we’ll all get better.
Edit; For anyone reading this; I could point out that I know some of my peers that were struggling the same ended up chasing different careers, entering fields they didn’t study for or even freelancing and managing their own businesses. life isn’t linear.

[nerelynregudon]

I love reading all the comments. It made me feel that I'm not alone. Reading the comments also made me feel that I have someone to talk about my feelings. Like everyone here, I graduated from university but still waiting for the ceremony. Decided to took a months break before searching for a job that is related to my degree. I know that it will be harder to find a job since the pandemic happened but I want to keep trying. The gloomy and rainy season in our country added to my graduation blues. I also quit social media beside yt since it took toll on my mental health seeing every of my batchmates having a job. I just hope that it will get better soon.

[SderE]

The grad blues for me comes from the knowing that I literally just spent 3 years living in this communal bubble, where you make new friends, communities, become deeply engrained within societies and your course, partying, living entirely independently....to SUDDENLY and abruptly waking up and you're back in your room at home, hardly talking to anyone you met throughout the past 3 years, just existing, with what seems to be no true purpose really. Just...apply for graduate schemes, try to find work, and to make matters worse, completely isolate and distance from your friends at home because of lockdown. yEp bRILLIANT M8

[JustBeingAnia]

It's been 10 months after finishing school....lost. sad. Rejection after rejection.

[tiffys]

Success isn't linear, you're allowed to have ups and downs, and it is okay to feel sad about it. If you're hitting a low point after doing really well your hard work is not erased. Here's to all the grads graduating during the pandemic (including me), we WILL get through this, just gotta stay strong.

[zel]

i just finished undergrad this past weekend. took me six years and i’m 26. finishing undergrad was my main priority. i put it before everything. I already work a decent job. i now feel like the excitement i was anticipating from graduation is over. it was literally just a moment. really don’t know what i want next.

[FloweringFuture]

I am going through this now. I graduate with my Bachelors in Biology and I am extremely passionate about ecology and sustainability. I am terrified I won't make it in my field. I want to make a difference in the world. After graduating, I feel lost and unsure of how the next steps are going to happen. Feels great to know I am not alone in this

[sama.]

Comforting to know others are going through similar experiences. We are not alone and we have to make it out together! I graduated in the top 10% of my 2020 class in uni and everything was so abrupt due to COVID it just feels like yesterday I was on campus studying, socializing, etc. Moving back home was probably one of the roughest things I've gone through because I was expecting a warm bubble of support and celebration only to find myself stressed in the harsh reality of solitude.

After finding a low paying retail job, I felt like I was going insane at home. I couldn't stay there anymore. I decided to look into Master's programs. I was accepted and am now in an intense Master's program, but not content as I feel as if I rushed myself into it because I knew it would bring structure rather than enjoyment to my life. I thought moving away from home and throwing myself into my studies would make me feel better, but I just feel overwhelmed, broke, and lonely.

[fizzledits]

I wish i could stay in school forever. I dont want to run my own life, i dont want a job or kids. I want to stay and complain about lessons with my friends for the rest of my life. I wish I could stay in school forever and never grow up. The structure of school is my life, i dont want to go without it. Makes me tempted to just become a teacher to stay in school, but it wouldn’t be the same. Sucks.

[genielove]

Post graduate depression is horrible but put a 😷Pandemic (Covid-19), Riots, looting, shootings, racism, social-distancing and etc on top of your stress.. WOW! This has probably been the worst experience of my life. Congratulations 🎉🎊 to me tho! Masters of Social Work 👌🏽Class of 2020 awesome sauce.😶