Thoughts on “Ramen Noodles, Rent and Resumes”

Last Updated on May 29, 2021

Back in March, I held a convention to mark the end of my term as a Circle K District Governor. Our keynote speaker at the convention was Kristen Fischer, a copywriter, author, journalist, and past Governor of New Jersey Circle K. After her fantastic speech to the convention attendees, she presented me with a signed copy of her book, “Ramen Noodles, Rent and Resumes: An After-College Guide to Life.

During the week leading up to my trip to Toronto, I found myself with a little bit of downtime. I started reading her Guide to Life and quickly became immersed in it. There was something about Kristen’s way of writing that made her book so personal. I connected with the messages within it on an unexpected level. Not only did the stories resonate with me because I am approaching graduation but also because she writes about her own experiences as a past Circle K Governor and as a young adult who grew up in New Jersey.

I couldn’t have picked a better time to read this book. The chapters within it cover a variety of topics from deciding on a major, choosing whether or not to go to graduate school, picking where to live after college, and what it is like both living and working out in the real world as an adult.

Everything felt so relevant.

Perhaps my favorite chapter within the whole book was the one that discussed graduate school. Kristen does a phenomenal job of explaining multiple views on whether or not attending grad school is worth it. While no one can deny the prestige associated with continuing your college education, Kristen points out that for some people, attending simply is not worth it. So many people today assume going to grad school is the “thing to do” and choose to go because it can put off having to deal with the real world. On the other hand, others have to go as it legitimately is the next step to finding a job in their career field of choice.

I always assumed I would go to graduate school myself simply because for psychology majors, it is a necessary step to become a recognized psychologist. However, more recently, I have been having seconds thoughts. I have been investing more time and money into my career as a hypnotist and part of me wonders if I should devote myself to that full-time. (In which case, graduate school would not be needed.) It’s a tough decision!

Ramen Noodles, Rent and Resumes shares personal experiences from Kristen’s friends and colleagues. They talk about what steps they took after college, where they are today, and how they felt along the way. As I read the book, I couldn’t help but think, “Wow. Every college graduate needs to read this.” And I really believe that. Anyone with any doubts about their future should read this as it will make you feel much more at ease- I promise. You will gain a better understanding for what it means to be a graduate in this day and age. I even feel like I have a better sense of what life as an adult after college is going to be like.

The messages inside are powerful. Of course, we all have our own unique experiences in life but the gist of each chapter pertains to nearly all of us. I will undoubtedly give this book as a gift to future college graduates in years to come.

Thank you for the insight, Kristen! 🙂

Ramen Noodles, Rent and Resumes: An After-College Guide to Life

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