How I Stay Connected to my College as a College Alumnae

They say that college is the best 4 years of your life. While that may be true for some (it felt that way to me at some points!), however your college experience was for you, I see staying connected to your sweet college alma mater is an important part of adulthood. Since graduating from college 8 months ago, I find it tough to keep connectivity with my sweet alma mater, especially when living in a different city. However, I have been able to maintain a strong connection with my sweet college and now alma mater – Meredith College – since graduation! So, I am listing some of the ways that I stayed connected and maintain my connection!

  1. Join an Alumnae Facebook Group – This has been a groundbreaking way for me to stay connected to other Meredith College Alumnae of ALL ages. Meredith College has a private, Alumnae-only Facebook Group where Alumnae of all ages, backgrounds, and generations share job opportunities, photos of old and new Meredith College memories, and hear about the latest and greatest within the Meredith College world and Meredith College Alumnae world. Needless to say, I LOVE interacting with Alumnae of all ages and living all around the world who share their Meredith College Pride with me.
  2. Be sure to keep up to date with your college’s Alumnae email lists – One of the first things that I did when I graduated from Meredith was to add my email to the Meredith College Alumnae email list. I simply went to Meredith’s website and typed in “alumnae” in the search bar. I, then, found where I could sign up for email updates on ALL things Alumnae. Meredith even has an Alumnae-specific online shop called the Meredith Market owned by the Meredith College Alumnae House, where Alumnae can purchase some super adorable merchandise (new every season and certain events on campus, too!). At the same time, I get updates on current happenings and events on campus, Alumnae-specific events, and much more!
  3. Attend Alumnae Reunion Weekends – If you are able to, Alumnae Reunion Weekends are THE BEST! I find these a great way to get connected to people of all ages who happen to be alumnae at your college. They’re also an excellent way to revisit your college campus and relive some of the many amazing memories you may have made there. At the same time, you can reconnect and connect with people you knew during your college years and people you may have not, alike. Either way, you’ll probably make many many more memories on your sweet college campus!
  4. Connect with Alumnae in your area – Many college Alumnae Houses and Associations have Chapters specific to cities where their Alumnae may live. For instance, Meredith College has a Washington, DC Alumnae event that they host every year or more, to connect Alumnae within the Washington, DC area. The same goes for Charlotte, North Carolina and many more cities where Meredith College Alumnae may live. My Big Sis from Meredith actually lives not that far from me – also in the Washington, DC area so I’m glad I have one Meredith connection here and hope to make more as I attend more Meredith College Alumnae via events in Washington, DC!
  5. Make an effort to keep in touch and check in on your college friends every so often – THIS is VITAL to staying connected to your college alma mater. Making sure to stay connected to your friends from college is an important way to feel a connection to your alma mater. I ALWAYS try to reach out to my college friends every so often. Whether you call them, FaceTime them, grab some coffee or dinner, or simply shoot them a text, a nice check in with a good college friend is ALWAYS good for the soul. Life can and will get busy for us ALL, so a simple reaching out to your college friends is always nice – for you and for them. It most definitely is a two way street when coming to reaching out to your college friends or vice versa – both parties have to put in some effort. BUT, if you both make the effort, then that is a friendship that you will have for live!
  6. Support small businesses owned by Alumnae and current students at your alma mater – Personally, I am a sucker for small businesses! I know many of y’all are too. I think it’s fun to support small businesses run by current students and Alumnae of your alma mater, if you can somehow figure out where they went to school. BUT, I will say that simply searching for your college’s name on Etsy is a great place to start, since many small businesses house their sales on Etsy. Another way to search for small businesses run by people from your alma mater is to simply ask around, whether it be on social media or a basic Google search.
  7. Donate to your alma mater (if you’re financially able to!) – One way to make an impact on your alma mater is to give back. Though, I will say that this option is NOT for everyone, whether it be their financial priorities, where they choose to spend their money, or something else and that is all OKAY. Personally, I give back to Meredith College to a department within the college that made a strong impact on me monthly. I am apart of a donor society that’s based on how much many someone donates per month/year and get invited to specific donor events and all through that, too, which is fun. Giving back to Meredith College allows me to leave a mark on my sweet alma mater from afar while knowing that I’m doing something great and still feeling a piece of connection.
  8. Volunteer to help out at events with current students – There are ALWAYS ways for Alumnae to volunteer to help current students at your alma mater. I have helped out with Mock Interview Week at Meredith College and that was really rewarding, especially when I received some sweet notes including a handwritten card from a lovely student and now friend of mine. I also sit on the Honors Program Committee known as the Honors Committee at Meredith as an Alumnae Representative, where I get to interact with current Meredith College students and professors, even many that I knew while at Meredith! Each of these ways of volunteering have kept me connected to Meredith, especially as I have volunteered virtually and sitting right at my desk with my dog for them all.
  9. Attend other Alumnae-related events, especially one’s that may be in your area – Going off of the idea of connecting with other fellow alma mater Alumnae, attending Alumnae events especially in your area is a great thing to do. Not only will you stay connected to your alma mater, but you will also probably find others who share the same love for their college experience that you do too.
  10. Reach out to staff members and professors (if any) still at your alma mater and/or that you want to keep in touch with every so often – Just like reaching out to your college friends, reaching out to your fellow staff members and professors at your alma mater is an excellent way to still feel connected to your alma mater. Meredith College professors and staff LOVE to hear from Alumnae, especially those that they knew while at Meredith and I am pretty sure that other professors and staff at other schools feel the same exact way, too. Not only will you put a smile on those who impacted you while at college’s faces, but you will also put a smile on your own.
  11. Be PROUD of the education and experience that your alma mater provided you with! – Above all else, be PROUD of the time that you spent at your sweet sweet alma mater. Whether you like it or not, it shaped you into the person that you are today and that is something to be proud of. Having that pride for your alma mater will carry over into passion which will enlighten your connectivity to that special alma mater of yours, too.

Now, let’s get to some connecting!!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

What I Wish I Knew Before My Post-Grad Move

Moving can be tedious and stressful! The only moves I really remember experiencing were moves to and from college but mostly to my college dorms and apartment. But, I never experienced moving post-graduation and let me tell y’all there are quite a few differences AND things that I wish I knew! So, I will be sharing some of the many things that I wish I knew before my post-graduation move.

What I Wish I Knew Before My Post-Grad Move 

  1. There is sometimes a holding phase – Yes, there is a period of waiting when it comes to post-graduation moves. Well, occasionally. Many of us post-grads move back home either for a few weeks, months, or even years before moving into our own apartments. The holding phase also known as the waiting period can suck! But, it is what you make it – taking time to enjoy with family is so important as you probably will not have times like these again. The same can go for seeing friends in your hometown or your favorite hometown spots. Although it can suck at times, having experienced the holding phase will make you so much stronger and more resilient in the end!
  2. Do your packing before your potential helpers come – With a big move like your post-graduation move, there is a lot of things that you do need to pack before you move! I made the mistake of not packing enough before my moving helpers aka my family came to help me move out. Any work you can do on the front end to help mitigate the moving out process will not only help yourself but those who are also helping you move out.
  3. Determine if there is anything that you don’t want or need anymore – if you know you do not need something anymore or there is no place for it, then sell or donate it! At the same time, if your things will be in storage for some time, then it is definitely worth seeing if there’s anything that you do not want/want to buy new when the time comes to get it out of storage and sell it. Having less stuff to move out is always a bonus!
  4. Make a list of things and its place within your new place – Whether or not you will be in a new apartment right off the bat, knowing where you would put some of your things in your new place is always the way to go. That way, if you need to store things, then you can determine what goes in storage and what doesn’t and arrange it all accordingly. The same concept can go for figuring out what things to get rid of and which to keep. Lists most definitely help!
  5. It WILL be Emotional! – Yes, moving out of your home away from home to wherever the road may take you next will be emotional. Whether or not you loved your college experience, it is always emotional to move onto the next phase of life. That being said, be sure to have some support by your side and take some time for yourself when needed (more on that in the next bullet!).
  6. Take time for YOU – Through it all, moving is stressful AND emotional! Above all else, remember to take time for yourself during the moving process. Whatever that may be for you, be sure to take the time to do something for YOU!

Through it all, the post-graduation move is HARD! It can be tiresome, emotional, and stressful. However, through it all, you will ultimately end up where you are meant to be.

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

Apartment Or Live At Home?! My Big’s Share Their Post-Graduation Housing Decisions!

Should I stay or should I go?! When it comes time to select your housing arrangements post-college graduation, it can be difficult. There are a ton of factors that go into deciding where you want to live after your college years and it all can be very tedious. My Big Sis’s Stephanie and Callie graduated in 2019. Both have very different post-graduation housing arrangements that are unique to where they both are at now. Stephanie and Callie have played a meaningful role in my college experience at Meredith and will continue to do so in my post-graduation life. So, Stephanie and Callie are both speaking on their own experiences with post-graduation housing arrangements and why they live where they live.

Stephanie

Tell me a bit about yourself!

Hi! I’m Stephanie Semaan and I enjoy watching reality TV shows, listening to music, and trying new cooking recipes.

Where did you go to college and what did you study?

I’m a Meredith College Alumna ‘19 (go angels!) and I studied Psychology and Communication. And, yes I can read y’alls mind… definitely joking!

What have you been up to since graduation?

After graduating I started my journey to receive my Master’s in School Counseling, and started my job with Academic Advising at the college-level. While I did attend Meredith in Raleigh, NC I decided to move back to my home state post graduation. A hobby that I started up again recently is playing the flute.

What made you choose to live at home post-graduation?

I was fortunate to have a few different options of applying to grad school or searching for a job or both in either NC or VA. I truly enjoyed my time in NC, but coming from a close-knit family I wanted to live closer to my family. And the licensure to be a School Counselor is state specific so since I ultimately saw myself moving home eventually that did play a role.

Pros of Living at Home Post-Graduation:

  1. Family! From game nights to movie nights, we’re all close by… literally.
  2. Multiple Hands! Unlike living on my own, my family and I cook together, and all pitch in together with around the home things like laundry and grocery shopping.
  3. Saving money! Living at home allows me personally to be able to save money for the future.

Cons of Living at Home Post-Graduation:

  1. When I first moved home, I kept operating like I was living on my own, but I learned I did not have to do everything on my own. So that was an adjustment.
  2. While I have a whole home to spread out all my things and fun decoration, it is not just your own space.
  3. And sometimes staying out late whether studying or hanging out with friends, you could feel like you keep the house up or wake the house up when you come home.

Callie

Tell me a bit about yourself!

I’m Callie Crawford, I love all things that involve Taylor Swift, the beach and Mexican food!

Where did you go to college and what did you study?

Meredith College class of 2019 major in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources Management.

What have you been up to since graduation?

I have worked as an HR Specialist since May 2019. I have achieved my SHRM-CP certification in 2020. I’ve gotten the chance to improve my cooking skills. I have continued gardening and taking care of my plant babies. I had the chance to travel to California and Tennessee for the first time.

What made you choose to live on your own post-graduation?

I was fortunate to get a job in Raleigh after graduation. I wanted to stay in the city so I would have a shorter commute to work. I also fell in love with Raleigh and wanted to have my own space in the city.

Pros of Living on your Own Post-Graduation:

  1. You get your own space! You can decorate however you want.
  2. You also have independence to do whatever you want, like in college but this time no homework or exams.
  3. You also get to figure out your post-grad self. You have the freedom to take up new hobbies or to choose how you spend your free time. It is a great time to decide who you want your adult self to look like.

Cons of Living on your Own Post-Graduation:

  1. Security is a big thing. You now have to invest in alarm systems or other methods to keep you safe because you are on your own.
  2. Money is another disadvantage. Rent takes up the majority of your pay check so that is an upsetting week.
  3. Even if you have a roommate, you can still get lonely. In college, there’s always someone but when you move everyone goes their own way. You have to be more intentional about spending time with friends and family.

With the Class of 2021’s graduation looming upon us, housing arrangements can be pretty tricky. Stephanie and Callie have provided some great insights that I hope will help you when choosing where you want to live.

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment