After College: Navigating Transitions, Relationships, and Faith

Practical Tools for a Faithful, Flourishing Post-College Life

＂The first year out was one of the hardest years of my life.＂ --Curt

＂It’s much rougher than I thought. I thought things would just play out, and they didn’t. I don’t have friends, I don’t have a job, and I hang out with my parents every night.＂ --Kate

The years after college can be some of the most uncertain, unstable times of life. Recent graduates grieve the loss of community, question their place in the world, and struggle to find meaningful work. It can be shocking to discover that college did not fully prepare you for the challenges you now face.

But you are not alone. Erica Young Reitz specializes in helping college seniors and recent graduates navigate the transition to postcollege life. Drawing on best practices and research on senior preparedness, she offers practical tools for a life of faithfulness and flourishing during a critical, transitional time. Revised to address the realities facing Gen Z in the 2020s, this practical guide addresses the top issues graduates face:

• Making decisions,
• Finding community,
• Managing money,
• Discerning your calling,
• And much more!

Discover how you can thrive beyond your undergraduate years. If you feel lost in transition, here are resources to help you flourish as a Christ-follower in a complex world.

Erica Young Reitz is the founder of After College Transition, an organization that helps practitioners (higher education professionals, church leaders, and college ministers) equip students to thrive after college. Her experience working with college students includes teaching advanced writing at The Pennsylvania State University and campus ministry with the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach), directing Senior EXIT. She holds an MA in higher education from Geneva College with a research focus on the senior year transition, and her writing has appeared in publications including Christianity Today and Relevant. Erica serves as a leadership development specialist for Bartell and Bartell, helping individuals and teams uplevel their leadership and unleash their organizational potential. Erica lives in central Pennsylvania with her husband, Craig, and their two children.