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This is a painful story... We're wrapping up our Unspoken Rules of Life After Graduation series with the most challenging story of transitioning to life after graduation we've heard since After IV started. New town, job loss, family crisis, exhaustion, loneliness, mental heath problems, apartment issues... The list goes on and on for the painful moments one alumna experienced in her first year after graduation. But in the midst of those trying times she met God in amazing ways, her faith was transformed, and she experienced God's abundant provision at exactly the right moment. Enjoy the fourth and final episode of the series with Rule #4: It Doesn't Get Easier (...but it does get better). RELATED EPISODE What Should I Do About My Anxiety? Pt 1 (E181) - Apple, Spotify, YouTubeSTAY IN TOUCH Socials: @afterivpodVisit our Website ★ Support this podcast ★

Think about it. For the last two decades, you have been a student. That's an identity you've carried almost your entire life... What happens when all of that changes? We're continuing our Unwritten Rules of Life After Graduation series with Rule #2: Everything Will Change. Jon shares another story from his own transition experience about the time his entire future changed in the blink of an eye. Following an intense season of rejection and disappointment, a friend said 7 words that completely derailed and (eventually) rerouted his life into a completely unexpected direction; a direction that eventually led to the existence of this podcast. Are you ready to experience the unavoidable changes that come with life after graduation? If not, or if you're in the middle of those changes right now, then this episode is for you! RELATED EPISODES What's My Purpose? (E186) - Apple, Spotify, YouTubeHelp! Where Does God Want Me to Work? (E211) - Apple, Spotify, YoutubeSTAY IN TOUCH Socials: @afterivpodVisit our Website ★ Support this podcast ★

The adults aren’t coming… For some, those are words of empowerment. For others, words of great anxiety. Either way, it’s a rule for life after graduation. The adults aren’t coming… because you are the adult now. Consult with wise counselors. Pray, pray, pray, and ask the Lord for wisdom and discernment. But the decisions you make about the direction of your life are yours to make. Enjoy as Jon and Selah tell stories about the first time they realized the adults weren’t coming. RELATED EPISODE Where Does God Want Me to Go?: Developing Tools for Discernment (E166) - Apple, Spotify, YouTubeSTAY IN TOUCH Socials: @afterivpodVisit our Website ★ Support this podcast ★

You will be lonely. That's Rule #1 and it's kicking off our new series, The Unspoken Rules of Life After Graduation. Listen in as Jon shares an emotional memory of the loneliest season of his life... and then recalls the exact moment when the God of the universe squeezed himself down into Jon's tiny apartment to bring him comfort and reassurance. Alumni, you will be lonely after graduation. But you are never alone. RELATED EPISODES Embracing Your Loneliness: A Recipe for Disaster or Deeper Compassion? (E95) - Apple, SpotifyKyong & Soul Crushing Loneliness (E2) - Apple, SpotifyOops! I Guess We're Not Getting Married (E204) - Apple, Spotify, YouTubeSTAY IN TOUCH Socials: @afterivpodVisit our Website ★ Support this podcast ★

What if volunteering somewhere changed your life forever? It might sound a little melodramatic, but that's exactly what happened for today's guest. After obtaining a Bachelor's Degree, a Master's Degree, and spending 7 years as an elementary school teacher, all it took was one specific volunteer position to change Amy's career trajectory. It was a cause she knew and loved and had enjoyed financially supporting. But when she started investing her time, something changed. She connected at a new level, grew in love for the work she was doing, and before she knew it, had filled out an application for employment. Enjoy the final conversation in our Side Quest series as we discuss one last way to invest your post-graduation free time with purpose: volunteering. And though you might not change careers because of it, is there a meaningful opportunity out there inviting you to invest your time and talents for the good of others? RELATED EPISODE(S) From Gap Year to Volunteer: Why "Failure" Should Always Be an Option (E87) - Apple, SpotifyOTHER RESOURCES Are you interested in serving a local InterVarsity chapter? Get started HERE!STAY IN TOUCH Socials: @afterivpodVisit our Website ★ Support this podcast ★

Are you looking for a hobby after graduation? Or is it looking for you? We’re continuing our Side Quest series this week as we explore how we spend our free time after graduation. Thus far, we’ve found that our free time can be easily spent in ways that are joyful, sustainable, and surprisingly significant. And hobbies are no different. InterVarsity Alumna, Campus Minister, and professional ultimate frisbee player, Melissa LaFrance, joins this week to share how she didn’t have time to go searching for a hobby after graduation because it found her first. And it turned out to be a life giving side quest that provided both friendships and amazing opportunities to share Jesus with people she would never otherwise have access to. RELATED EPISODES The Struggle for Friendship: Moving from Isolation to Connection (E168) - Apple, Spotify, YouTubeEvangelism When... My Friend is an Atheist (E209) -  Apple, Spotify, YouTubeSTAY IN TOUCH Socials: @afterivpodVisit our Website ★ Support this podcast ★

What if the side quest actually turned out to be the main quest? InterVarsity Alum, Michael Lopez, say that’s exactly the situation when it comes to the way we invest. We’re continuing our “Side Quest” series this week as we explore how to thoughtfully spend our free time in life after graduation. Admittedly, investing might not sound like a typical “free time” activity. Automatic transfers, compounding interest, and future withdrawals all sound very passive. It’s stuff that happens in the background on autopilot, not something we actively engage with. That’s where Michael would politely, but firmly, disagree. Michael is an investment advisor, certified financial planner, and an InterVarsity alumnus from Harvard. Michael is joining us today to share why the time, attention, and resources we devote to the “side quest” of investment has an impact that reaches all the way into eternity. Sounds like some main quest material! RELATED EPISODE Understanding Your Financial Narrative (E142) - Apple, SpotifySTAY IN TOUCH Socials: @afterivpodVisit our Website ★ Support this podcast ★

Does your life ever feel like a jar of dirty water? A brand new series starts today called, “Side Quests”. We’ll be discussing healthy non-work rhythms after graduation that are filled with purpose, starting with rest and retreat. InterVarsity alumnus Jonny Gose shares about his own journey into rest and retreat after graduation (including how a jar of dirty water transformed the way he thinks about slowing down with Jesus). And he’ll walk us through some practical ways to build a rhythm of rest that not only fits this season of life after graduation, but also becomes a rhythm you never want to miss. RELATED EPISODE A Foundation for Healthy Rhythms of Rest (E122) - Apple, SpotifyOTHER RESOURCES Grab your alumni retreat box today!STAY IN TOUCH Socials: @afterivpodVisit our Website ★ Support this podcast ★

Should I join staff with InterVarsity? It's a common question for alumni ask. After so many meaningful experiences as a student, we often wonder if staff work is the next logical step. But how do we know? This week, veteran InterVarsity staff, Lucas and Chelir, provide a few tips for discernment, some tangible benefits, and a helpful dose of reality for what it means to join staff. Ultimately, it comes down to one decision: is joining staff a good thing or a God thing? Whether you're still a student, a recent grad, or a veteran alum, this episode is for you as you ponder where God might be calling you! RELATED EPISODE(S) Future as a Barrier to Calling (E217) - Apple, Spotify, YouTubeSTAY IN TOUCH Socials: @afterivpodVisit our Website ★ Support this podcast ★

If you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that your future was secure, would it feel easier to say yes to Jesus wherever he led you in your calling?  We've all wished at one time or another that we could sit down with our future self and say, “How does this part of my life end up?” We want to know that we can step boldly and confidently into opportunities (or avoid certain failures…). But it doesn’t work like that. Saying yes opens us up to a unique set of mysteries that we uncover as we go. And sometimes that mysterious future can make it really hard to say yes to Jesus. Today, we’re wrapping up our series on common barriers to calling with a conversation about the future. Joanne and Lucas have returned one more time to help us wrestle with this particular barrier. And they’re going to encourage us to say yes to the one who firmly holds our future in his hands and has invited us to trust him with it. RELATED EPISODE(S) Post-Graduation Disorientation and the Power of Perseverance (E173) - Apple, YouTube, Spotify, STAY IN TOUCH Socials: @afterivpodVisit our Website ★ Support this podcast ★

Has money ever influenced your ability to say yes to Jesus? Experts, Joanne and Lucas, return this week to help us consider whether or not money is holding us back from fully following Jesus in our calling. Whether you're concerned about not making enough or worried about being able to steward a large sum of money, this episode is for you as we discuss Philippians 4, contentment, and the voices that disciple us in our perspective about finances after graduation. RELATED EPISODE How Much is Enough? (E189) - Apple, Spotify, YouTubeSTAY IN TOUCH Socials: @afterivpodVisit our Website ★ Support this podcast ★

This might touch a nerve.... But is it possible that your family is a barrier to following Jesus in your calling? Joanne and Lucas return to unpack what it looks like to honor your family and follow God's call at the same time. Drawing from Luke 2 and Jesus' experience with his own family, we'll explore how misunderstanding doesn't mean opposition, how to be faithful to God when family pushes back, and how to invite your family into the discernment process without handing them a veto.  If you feel at odds with your family about your calling, this episode is for you! RELATED EPISODES Fear as a Barrier to Calling (E214) - Apple, Spotify, YouTubeRelating to Parents After Moving Out (E106) - Apple, SpotifySTAY IN TOUCH Socials: @afterivpodVisit our Website ★ Support this podcast ★

Is fear standing in the way of saying yes to Jesus after graduation? **NEW SERIES!!** For the next four weeks we're discussing barriers of calling; four common issues that stand in the way of completely surrendering ourselves to Jesus after graduation. And we're starting with a discussion about fear. We're joined by veteran InterVarsity staff, Joanne Acevedo and Lucas Wencl, who point us to God as Counselor, Shepherd, and Provider and remind us that even when (not if) we experience fear, we can fully rely on Him to supply our every need. RELATED EPISODE What Should I Do About My Anxiety? (E180) - Apple, Spotify, YouTubeSTAY IN TOUCH Socials: @afterivpodVisit our Website ★ Support this podcast ★

A few months after graduation, Justice received a heartbreaking message from an old classmate: Paul, his friend from a previous school, had passed away unexpectedly. Justice had endured a significant amount of loss over the past few years, but this experience was different. It was his first time processing the death of a friend or family member without his InterVarsity chapter next to him. Justice joins this week to share his experiences navigating grief and loss after graduation. And whether you’ve suffered the death of a loved one, or you’re experiencing the grief that comes from saying goodbye to your InterVarsity chapter and the college experience, Justice has a few meaningful insights to help you process. RELATED EPISODE When Right Paths Meet Dark Valleys: Hope for the Road Ahead (E174) - Apple, Spotify, YouTubeOTHER RESOURCES A Chronicle of Grief: Finding Life After Traumatic Loss by Mel LawrenzGrieving Wholeheartedly: Bringing Healing to Every Part of Your Soul by Audrey DavidheiserAfter College by Erica ReitzSTAY IN TOUCH Socials: @afterivpodVisit our Website ★ Support this podcast ★

How do I adjust to living in a new town? Many grads face this challenge at some point. The time comes to pack the car, relocate, and get settled in a brand new place. But once you arrive, how do you meet people? Discover your favorite coffee shop? Find the quickest route to the grocery store? Most importantly, how long before it starts to feel like home? This week, we’re joined by Josephine, an InterVarsity alumna who’s been living in a new town for 10 months but still doesn’t feel at home. Jon and Josephine discuss strategies for getting settled, exploring her surroundings, and taking steps toward making new friends.  RELATED EPISODES Where Should I Live? (E183) - Apple, Spotify, YouTubeThe Struggle for Friendship: Moving from Isolation to Connection (E168) - Apple, Spotify, YouTubeOTHER RESOURCES After College by Erica ReitzSTAY IN TOUCH Socials: @afterivpodVisit our Website ★ Support this podcast ★