The Aftergrad Podcast

The desire to be perfect can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can motivate us to work hard and achieve our own definition of success. On the other hand, it can lead to unrealistic expectations and unhealthy comparisons when pursuing goals or planning for the future. How do we balance the pressure to be perfect with the need to be flexible, adaptable, and resilient? When is it acceptable to prioritize perfection, and in some cases — imperfection? We work through a few perspectives in today’s episode.

Follow The Aftergrad Podcast on Instagram. View the visual podcast on YouTube. Subscribe to UNLEARN, The Aftergrad Newsletter.

Got a crazy confession about adulting? Looking for advice on navigating postgrad life? Let Robert and Victoria offer you their two cents. Submit your stories, questions, or dilemmas via our Dear Aftergrad Submission Form for a chance to have them featured in a future episode or newsletter. You can also DM us on Instagram, write us an email at [email protected], or comment on this post.

Music produced by ALYSS.

Hey Aftergrads. Here’s an update on how our summer went. We talk about what we did as well as some of the victories, challenges, and milestones we faced.

Follow The Aftergrad Podcast on Instagram. View the visual podcast on YouTube. Subscribe to The Aftergrad Newsletter via Substack.

Got a crazy confession about adulting? Looking for advice on navigating postgrad life? Let Robert and Victoria offer you their two cents. Submit your stories, questions, or dilemmas via our Dear Aftergrad Submission Form for a chance to have them featured in a future episode or newsletter. You can also DM us on Instagram, write us an email at [email protected], or comment on this post.

Music produced by ALYSS.

Welcome to Season 2 of The Aftergrad Podcast, a biweekly show hosted by recent graduates Robert Cain and Victoria Gilbert. After a restful and relaxing summer break, we’re finally back to continue sharing aspects of our postgrad journey and talking about the challenges and societal expectations with navigating adulthood, transitioning into the workforce, and building a successful career. New episodes drop on October 21.

This is The Aftergrad Podcast. A community for aspiring adults attempting at life. Join Us.

Follow The Aftergrad Podcast on Instagram. View the visual podcast on YouTube. Subscribe to The Aftergrad Newsletter via Substack.

Got a crazy confession about adulting? Looking for advice on navigating postgrad life? Let Robert and Victoria offer you their two cents. Submit your stories, questions, or dilemmas via our Dear Aftergrad Submission Form for a chance to have them featured in a future episode or newsletter. You can also DM us on Instagram, write us an email at [email protected], or comment on this post.

Music produced by ALYSS.

This is it! Our Season 1 finale is here! We made it! YOU made it! So much has happened since we left our homes and moved to DC. After graduating from college in May 2021, we experienced a wide range of emotions. One of those emotions was fear, among others like joy, sadness, and regret. In this finale episode, we reflect on our shifts in perspective and the many ways in which we addressed our postgrad fears during our freshman year as aftergrads in the school of life. To say the least, we learned A LOT about ourselves and the desires we have for the future. Most importantly, we recognized that there’s really nothing to be afraid of. We are strong. We are worthy. We are aftergrads trying to find clarity and security… and we’re happy to say, we found a little.

Follow The Aftergrad Podcast on Instagram. View the visual podcast on YouTube. Subscribe to UNLEARN, The Aftergrad Newsletter.

Got a crazy confession about adulting? Looking for advice on navigating postgrad life? Let Robert and Victoria offer you their two cents. Submit your stories, questions, or dilemmas via our Dear Aftergrad Submission Form for a chance to have them featured in a future episode or newsletter. You can also DM us on Instagram, write us an email at [email protected], or comment on this post.

For the penultimate episode of Season 1 of The Aftergrad Podcast, we wanted to reflect on our personal relationship with each other as well as think about the strangers that have entered our lives and made us better and stronger. We play a game called We’re Not Really Strangers to see how much we’ve learned from and about one another by living and working together for the past year. Often times, when we meet someone, it can be difficult and nearly impossible to know exactly what role they will play in our story. It’s only later in life when we realize the purpose behind why we met in the first place. This is certainly the case with us. And maybe, just maybe, it applies to you too.

Follow The Aftergrad Podcast on Instagram. View the visual podcast on YouTube. Subscribe to UNLEARN, a monthly newsletter written and curated by Robert and Victoria.

Got a crazy confession about adulting? Looking for advice on navigating postgrad life? Let Robert and Victoria offer you their two cents. Submit your stories, questions, or dilemmas via our Dear Aftergrad Submission Form for a chance to have them featured in a future episode or newsletter. You can also DM us on Instagram, write us an email at [email protected], or comment on this post.

Congratulations are in order for the Class of 2022! Not only did you manage to graduate and collect your diploma, but also you overcame the challenges of learning in a remote, isolated environment. This achievement should not be celebrated lightly. You earned it! Welcome to life, aftergrad! Now is the time to relish in the victory, and as we transition into summer, it is also an opportunity to rest, reset, and recalibrate. You might be wondering: how does summer hit different when you’re a student in school versus an aftergrad living life? How can we maximize our time and create more time within our busy schedules? For us, there’s no one-size-fits-all model, but it helps to stay consistent and strive for balance across all areas of our life.

Post Thoughts: Why We Need to Let Go of the Side Hustle by Eve Livingston

Follow The Aftergrad Podcast on Instagram. Tune into the visual podcast on YouTube.

Share your questions or life situations that pertain to being an aftergrad by completing our Aftergrad Case Study Submission Form for a chance to be featured in our episodes. You can also DM us on Instagram, write us an email at [email protected], or send us a voice note on Anchor. Click our “Asks” highlight on IG and answer the polls to share more feedback with us.

The global economy is in complete and utter shambles. As prices across multiple industries continue to rise and employee salaries remain the same, our value is declining. While this market activity poses a challenge for aftergrads, it also presents us with an opportunity to advocate for our worth by paying close attention to the ways in which our society is recalibrating. No more being happy or grateful to be here. No more accepting experience or exposure as forms of payment. We can demand the realities we wish to see for our industries, so let’s abandon fear and shame to claim our spot in the future of work and business.

Follow The Aftergrad Podcast on Instagram. Tune into the visual podcast on YouTube.

Share your questions or life situations that pertain to being an aftergrad by completing our Aftergrad Case Study Submission Form for a chance to be featured in our episodes. You can also DM us on Instagram, write us an email at [email protected], or send us a voice note on Anchor. Click our “Asks” highlight on IG and answer the polls to share more feedback with us.

As we pursue our goals, there will be people who challenge the visions we see for ourselves, suggesting we are not capable of achieving them or invalidating our future reality. They might even say our dreams and aspirations are silly delusions. In the face of this skepticism, it is important to remain confident and understand the power of being delusional. What does it mean to be delusional, and how can we leverage this mindset to trailblaze our own path? For young GenZers, it is about shamelessly and unapologetically walking in our truth, and this concept applies to any and everyone, regardless of age or generational background.

Follow The Aftergrad Podcast on Instagram. Tune into the visual podcast on YouTube.

Share your questions or life situations that pertain to being an aftergrad by completing our Aftergrad Case Study Submission Form for a chance to be featured in our episodes. You can also DM us on Instagram, write us an email at [email protected], or send us a voice note on Anchor. Click our “Asks” highlight on IG and answer the polls to share more feedback with us.

The ROI of a college degree is decreasing as nationwide enrollment plunges, skill-based hiring reemerges as a popular recruiting practice, and students struggle to secure their first entry-level role in their desired industry. This begs the question: is a college education still worth the investment? Was it ever? Should we still feel pressured to attend a university if it means sustaining massive amounts of debt? Is college the only way to reach our goals? We address these concerns and many more in today's discussion. Be sure to listen until the end of the episode to catch a new segment we introduce featuring statements from a fellow aftergrad.

Follow The Aftergrad Podcast on Instagram. Tune into the visual podcast on YouTube.

Share your questions or life situations that pertain to being an aftergrad by completing our Aftergrad Case Study Submission Form for a chance to be featured in our episodes. You can also DM us on Instagram, write us an email at [email protected], or send us a voice note on Anchor. Click our “Asks” highlight on IG and answer the polls to share more feedback with us.

Mistakes are inevitable, but unforced errors are avoidable. How do we decrease our rate of unforced errors while learning from our past screw-ups? Should we really be afraid of failure? Is it our fault, or does the world owe us something? In this episode, your fellow aftergrads speak on the importance of accepting our mistakes and the power of moving on from failure and setback.

Follow The Aftergrad Podcast on Instagram. Tune into the visual podcast on YouTube.

Share your questions or life situations that pertain to being an aftergrad by completing our Aftergrad Case Study Submission Form for a chance to be featured in our episodes. You can also DM us on Instagram, write us an email at [email protected], or send us a voice note on Anchor. Click our “Asks” highlight on IG and answer the polls to share more feedback with us.