Unfiltered life advice with Dr. Bob Gregerson (graduation edition)

With graduation quickly approaching, you may be feeling a lot of conflicting feelings. I know I am! Graduation is so exciting, but also so scary. Most of us have been in school for 17 years and don’t remember life without school. While school can be hard at times, it provides community and opportunity to get involved and make friends. I spoke with Dr. Gregerson, president of Pitt-Greensburg, to get his unfiltered life advice for graduating seniors.

Dr. Gregerson explained that we talk about the transition from high school to college a lot, even though the transition from college to the real world presents even bigger challenges. 

“Your routines will be different,” Dr. Gregerson said. “Your life is about to be different.”

Different doesn’t mean bad! It’s okay to be nervous, but with time, you will adjust to life after college. Make sure you celebrate commencement because this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You have put in so much work and achieved so much, so it’s time to have fun!

Along with having fun, many graduating seniors are preparing to enter their career after graduation. However, finding the right job can take time. Dr. Gregerson explained that you must find a balance between work and fun in order to have a fulfilling life. Don’t stay at a job that sucks all of the joy out of your life because life is too short. You need to enjoy it!

“Work is not life. It contributes to life,” Dr. Gregerson said. “Put things into perspective.”

Dr. Gregerson explained that while work is important, you must find time to relax and find joy. You will go through dark spots in life, but they are temporary. Find the little things in life that bring you joy and happiness and don’t let anything, including work, push those things out of your life.

Dr. Gregerson said, “If you’re not having fun, you’re not doing it right. Be sure to carve out time to relax.”

Spending time with friends can be a great way to relax and bring joy into your life, but many students get nervous about feeling lonely after college. College forces you to be constantly surrounded by people, which allows you to create meaningful relationships. 

Dr. Gregerson said that you must ensure that you continue to surround yourself with good people after college to avoid feeling lonely. It may be people from Pitt-Greensburg or you might find new friends!

“You have a say in who you surround yourself with, so create a group of friends that help you achieve your goals and make you a better person,” Dr. Gregerson said. “You also need to be a good friend, so that you can have friendships based on mutual support.”

While Dr. Gregerson is not a graduating senior, he loves commencement. It is a day to celebrate accomplishment and new beginnings. 

“Commencement is my favorite day of the year,” Dr. Gregerson said.

To get ready for Dr. Gregerson’s favorite day of the year, we put together a small graduation playlist to get you hyped!

Dr. Gregerson’s picks: 

• Best Day Of My Life by American Authors 
• Celebration by Kool & The Gang

My picks:

• On Top Of The World by Imagine Dragons
• Long Live by Taylor Swift
• I Lived by OneRepublic
• Walking On Sunshine by Katrin & The Waves

Add these songs to your playlist and get ready for graduation!! I know you’re stressed, but you are almost there and you did it! You should be so proud of yourself because I know it hasn’t always been easy. I hope Dr. Gregerson’s advice helps you to navigate this new chapter. You will do amazing things, and I can’t wait to see what you accomplish!