pre-post-grad diaries

  No one really tells you how different your days feel after you start working full-time. Not necessarily harder. Just...different. When I was in college, my schedule had a rhythm that was flexible . I'd go to class, work a few hours, grab coffee with friends, film content between meetings, squeeze in a workout, take Duke on a walk, or spend an afternoon studying somewhere new. If I wanted to meal prep on a Tuesday afternoon or take a quick nap before evening homework, I usually had the flexibility to make that happen. Now my days look very different . I wake up, commute to work, spend the day learning and collaborating with my new team, drive home, make dinner, work on my final college class, get ready for the next day, and before I know it, it's time to go to bed and do it all again. It's not a bad thing. In fact, I'm genuinely enjoying my new role . My coworkers have been incredibly welcoming, my commute isn't nearly as bad as I expected, and I'm grateful e...

  If there's one thing I've learned during my first week of working full-time, it's this: A routine isn't something you suddenly wake up with. It's something you build. One morning. One habit. One day at a time. A week ago, I was packing boxes and wondering what this new chapter would feel like. Now, I've officially completed my first week as a full-time employee with Texas Tech University at Dallas, and while I definitely don't have everything figured out, I'm starting to settle into a rhythm. One thing I've been incredibly grateful for is the people. Starting somewhere new can feel intimidating, but everyone has been so welcoming and kind. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of my time at the College of Media & Communication. It's collaborative, supportive, and full of people who genuinely want to help each other succeed. That has made this transition so much easier. At the same time, I'm still learning what it looks like to balance a full-...

  Tomorrow, I wake up for my first day as a full-time employee at Texas Tech University. Typing that sentence still does NOT feel real! Just a few weeks ago, I was assisting with orientation at the College of Media & Communication, walking across campus in Lubbock between classes, lounging at the TTU Rec Pool, making coffee before work, and wondering where I'd be after graduation. Now, I'm back in Dallas. The boxes are starting to get unpacked. My closet somehow survived the move. My calendar is already filling up. And tomorrow morning, I'll drive to my first full-time job. It's funny how life changes! Not all at once. Then somehow...all at once. This transition has been one of the biggest reminders that growth often happens quietly. For months, I was updating resumes, tracking applications in spreadsheets, preparing for interviews, and wondering if everything would work out. Those moments felt slow while I was living them. But looking back now, I can see they were ...

No one prepares you for how bittersweet it feels to leave a place you always knew was temporary. I never expected a college town like Lubbock to grow on me so much these past few years.  Today is my last day as the Student Recruitment Assistant for the College of Media & Communication. Tomorrow, I'll pack up my stuff, load my car, and drive six hours back to Dallas. And somehow, writing those two sentences makes everything feel real. When I first moved to Lubbock, I don't think I fully understood how much this little college town would shape me. It wasn't just where I earned my degree. It became the place where I learned who I wanted to become. It's where I found lifelong friendships, studied abroad, earned my class ring, developed a deeper love for content creation, managed social media for organizations I care deeply about, grew my confidence as a communicator, and accepted my first full-time job after college. It's where I learned that growth rarely happens a...

 A few weeks ago, I wrote that the question I hear most is: "So...what's next?" And for the past few months,  I didn't have an answer. I had possibilities. I had applications. I had spreadsheets. I had interviews. I had.... a lot of coffee. But I still didn't have an answer. Now, I am happy to tell you all.... I FINALLY DO! This week, I officially accepted a  full-time position with Texas Tech University at DFW ,  and somehow, everything feels a little more real . For months, job searching has been a part-time job in itself.  Between applications, cover letters, networking, updating my resume,  preparing for interviews, and checking my email more times than  I'd like to admit, finding a job after graduation felt both exciting and overwhelming . Everyone tells you that your senior year goes by quickly. They're more right than I could have imagined. What they don't tell you is how strange it feels to actively prepare for a  chapter you haven't sta...

If there is one thing this summer keeps teaching me, it's the importance of balance and flexibility. Not the easy kind of balance, like standing on one leg. And not the fun kind of flexibility, like touching your toes after yoga class. The real kind . The kind where plans change. Systems break. Things take longer than expected. People don't answer emails. Financial aid gets confusing. Job applications sit unanswered. And suddenly the timeline you had neatly organized in your head starts looking a little different. As someone who loves a good spreadsheet, calendar, checklist, and plan, this has been challenging. I like knowing what's next. I like having a roadmap. I like feeling prepared. But lately, I've been realizing that some of the biggest transitions in life don't come with a perfectly organized itinerary. This summer, I'm balancing work, content creation, job applications, blog writing, and summer classes while preparing for graduation in August. Some days...