Post Grad Depression – Let's Talk About It

Graduation is the milestone every college student looks forward to. After years of late-night study sessions, endless assignments, and counting down the days to the weekend, you dream of the moment it’s finally over — when you can exhale. But what no one really talks about is the depression that comes after, once your time in undergrad ends.

Euphoria ©

The design of college is something you don’t realize is so unique until it’s over. You’re surrounded by people your age who likely share your interests, your schedule, and your sense of possibility. Your friends are always close just down the street, in the next dorm, or even in the room beside you. But, once you graduate, that built-in community disappears almost overnight. The noise, the energy, the constant togetherness all fade into silence. According to Realtor, between 32% and 64% of recent college graduates move back in with their parents, leading to a sudden loss of that daily connection. It’s a kind of quiet you don’t recognize at first—the faint stillness of a Tuesday evening replacing the sound of your neighbors shouting over a video game.

Among the 32% to 64% of post-grads moving back home, many are also experiencing what Mel Robbins calls The Great Scatter Theory. It perfectly captures the sense of isolation that often follows graduation — the idea that for most of our lives, we’ve moved in sync with our peers, advancing from one grade to the next, sharing similar routines and milestones. Then, almost overnight, that rhythm ends. Everyone scatters in different directions, new cities, new jobs, or no jobs at all — and for the first time, our lives no longer align. That sudden fragmentation, that quiet loss of shared structure and community, is an overlooked part of the post-grad experience.

But, that loss of structure doesn’t just exist socially—it extends into our professional lives, too. Growing up, Gen Z was told the same story over and over: “Go to college so you can get a good job.” Yet in 2025, we’re facing one of the most competitive job markets in recent history, with few true entry-level positions available. What’s often missing from the conversation is the deep sense of betrayal that many feel. We were promised that a degree would open doors, only to meet the harsh reality of hundreds of applications sent into the void and rejection emails that never seem to stop. For a generation that spent years building résumés, juggling packed schedules, and striving for success, this abrupt stillness can be jarring. Many of us have tied our sense of worth to the jobs we land or don’t. After everything Gen Z has endured, this moment feels like a melting pot of disappointment, frustration, and exhaustion, born from the realization that the system we were told to trust doesn’t seem to be holding up its end of the deal.

However, amid all the frustration and anger, this is also a moment to come together and recognize the silver lining: we're not alone. The dismay we feel is shared by so many of our peers, and our struggles aren’t unique or personal failures. In this in-between stage, what we can offer each other is compassion, patience, and a listening ear. While we navigate this slow and uncertain chapter, we can still find small ways to create joy by building new routines, spending time with the friends who are present, and embracing the moments of fun that remind us we’re still living. Even in the pause, there’s room to breathe, recharge, and prepare to fight for a brighter tomorrow.