After College - by Erica Young Reitz (Paperback)

About the Book

Erica Young Reitz helps college seniors and recent graduates navigate the complex transition to postcollege life. Drawing on best practices and research on senior preparedness, this practical guide addresses the top issues graduates face and is now updated to address the realities facing Gen Z in the 2020s.

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"'After college' is my daughter's world right now, and Erica is answering her questions with the wisdom of a pastor, the skills of a counselor, and the gentleness of a friend. As someone whose full-time audience is 18-24-year-olds, I love that this revised edition offers spot-on content to every recent grad I know. I didn't think the first edition could get any better. It did!"

--Sam Van Eman, experiential designer with the CCO and author of Disruptive Discipleship

"Erica Reitz offers practical wisdom for what the transition out of college should look like. What advice would you give graduates preparing for the weird change that happens after college? Here are time-tested answers to how college grads can and should find community, friends, a church, and even new dating partners. Parents are an important part of this process and part of Reitz's holistic vision for life after college."

--John B Weaver, president of Florida College and host of the Downstream Podcast

"The first edition of Erica Reitz's After College quickly became a deeply trusted guide for college graduates. And now this new, freshly updated edition will prove to be even more valuable. After 35 years as a college professor, one thing has become clear to me: the first few years after college were an inflection point for most new graduates. Students who saw remarkable success in college were never guaranteed that same success after college. Which is why this book can be a deeply-needed mentor. It is brim full of wisdom that I would like to see in the hands of every college senior."

--Gary M. Burge, professor emeritus at Wheaton College and editor of Life Questions Every Student Asks and Theology Questions Everyone Asks

"Working with students means encountering young people desperate for help: what to do? How to live? What is good? In this accessible book, Erica Young Reitz proves to be a wise guide for those longing for wisdom in their early lives. She offers practical guidance, from friendships to finances. Reitz offers a vision of life worth living and worth loving. 'It's gonna be okay.' God is with you. He loves you."

--Alex Sosler, associate professor of Bible and Ministry at Montreat College and author of Learning to Love: Christian Higher Education as Pilgrimage

About the Author

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.