Post-graduate depression
No one talks about the depression, hopelessness, and anxiety that fresh university graduates face. They suffer silently, wondering what to do next and how to find opportunities. Even their families often don’t understand what they are going through.
Many graduates slowly fade away. They stop talking to friends, lose contact with classmates, and avoid social gatherings. At family functions, relatives ask questions like, “Beta, what are you doing now?”, “How long are you going to stay at your parents’ home?”
If it’s a girl, people ask, “When are you getting married?” or “What have you achieved after getting your degree? Have you earned any money? Look at our daughters—they’re married, have two kids, and are happy. Meanwhile, your poor parents are still taking care of you.”
When it comes to boys, they face endless questions from uncles and relatives. Many become demotivated. Some dream of moving abroad but don’t have the money to do so. Others try trading after taking advice from friends and sometimes fail. Some start giving home tuition while constantly thinking about how to settle in life and repay their parents, who are getting older every day.
This is the reality of our society. Those who can afford it pursue a master’s degree or go abroad for higher studies. Many work overtime just to prove that they are capable of achieving something in life. Otherwise, people label them as a burden on their parents.
Many daughters are pressured into marriage instead of being allowed to pursue private jobs. If they want to build a career, they are expected to prepare for competitive government exams. Even after 14 or 16 years of education, they still have to study further to clear exams like CSS or PPSC. Only then do parents and society begin to appreciate them, and their names are respected.
Otherwise, to society, you are just another university graduate—and that’s all.
