From The Graduate to Girls: Inspiring Post-Grad Life in TV and Film

Commencement is just the beginning.

There are so many great stories about graduation itself. The approach of an ending to one phase of life provides great tension for drama and therefore, great storytelling. But a graduation ceremony by definition is a commencement–and a commencement is actually a beginning. One of the most ripe settings for great fiction is the time after graduation, when characters step into new situations, leave their pasts behind, and begin to muddle through their post-graduate lives. We pulled together some movies and TV shows that are specifically about the post-grad experience: these stories begin at commencement and take it from there.

The Graduate (1967)

We couldn’t not mention this iconic film. Starring Dustin Hoffman, it’s about a recent college grad, Benjamin Braddock, who is drifting through existential confusion as he grapples with uncertainty about his future. Returning home to his affluent suburban life, Benjamin is seduced by an older family friend, the proverbial Mrs. Robinson. Their secret affair spirals out of control when he falls for her daughter, Elaine. The film captures a particular kind of post-graduate disillusionment of youth when one feels directionless and stuck between two phases of life. It’s a powerful exploration of identity, rebellion, and societal expectations.

St. Elmo’s Fire (1985)

This mid-80s classic starring “Brat Pack” actors Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez and Ally Sheedy is about a group of college graduates who struggle with adulthood and identity after leaving school. In St. Elmo’s Fire, a close-knit group of recent Georgetown University graduates navigate the challenges, uncertainty, and turmoil of adulthood. They wrestle with their imminent careers, relationships, and identity crises. The film is named after the bar in Washington D.C. where the friends gather often, and explores themes of ambition and transition from youth to maturity–which is often messy. But the movie features an iconic 80s soundtrack, which makes everything feel nostalgic, and a beloved, beautiful score by David Foster.

Reality Bites (1994)

This defining Gen X film captures the uncertainty and disillusionment of the post-grad experience in the early 1990s. Ben Stiller directed and appeared in the movie, and it also stars Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, and Janeane Garofalo. A group of recent college graduates struggle with love, employment, and staying true to their ideals in a rapidly commercializing world. They look for meaning while challenging cultural stereotypes of the era, which makes Reality Bites an iconic representation of a particular moment in history. At the same time, it’s themes about coming of age are timeless. With its mix of sarcasm, slacker ethos, and emotional honesty, Reality Bites paints a relatable portrait of young adults caught between idealism and reality after graduation.

The Big Bang Theory (2007)

One of the most successful sitcoms in recent history, The Big Bang Theory is about a group of graduate students living their postdoctoral lives. In this both humorous and insightful show, four highly educated scientists are navigating adulthood beyond academia. Leonard, Sheldon, Raj, and Howard are PhDs and engineers working at Caltech, and though they might be the smartest people in most rooms, they have trouble dealing with career tracks, social awkwardness, romantic relationships, families, and evolving friendships. Their neighbor Penny is on her own journey, trying to break into the acting business while waitressing to make ends meet. They have nothing in common with her–except the uncertainty that comes with this particular phase of life. While steeped in geek culture and scientific jargon, the series subtly explores themes like work-life balance, impostor syndrome, and personal growth after graduate school. The show shows that even the most brilliant minds struggle with everyday life beyond the classroom.

Community (2009)

There are many shows about the college experience, where a bunch of characters roughly the same age are experiencing similar challenges. But the offbeat sitcom Community is about the unique community college experience, and features a diverse cast of characters from different backgrounds and age groups. The show explores the post-grad experience in a refreshingly unconventional way: this group of adults is attending Greendale Community College where they are seeking second chances, career changes, or personal growth. While not a traditional post-college setting, the series humorously and often poignantly examines what it means to start over when the standard path has gone off course. Through its quirky characters—like Jeff, a disbarred lawyer; Britta, a self-proclaimed activist; and Abed, a pop-culture savant—Community captures the challenges and absurdities of redefining yourself in adulthood, all while parodying college life and genre conventions with sharp wit and heart.

Felicity (1998)

A show that starts right after high school graduation, Felicity follows the emotional and intellectual journey of Felicity Porter, a young woman who impulsively enrolls at a New York university to follow a high school crush. Starring Keri Russell and created by J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves, this drama focuses on the uncertainty of the undergrad years, as young adults navigate the college experience and look ahead to their futures. Felicity faces decisions about love, her own identity as she breaks away from the expectations of her parents and other authority figures, and what she might pursue as a future career. The show captures the bittersweet reality of stepping into adulthood: letting go of idealism, embracing change, and navigating the complexities of life after graduation.

Girls (2012)

Identified as a show that defined a particular generation and moment in time, Girls follows a group of twenty-something women in NYC navigating jobs, relationships, and self-worth after college. Created by and starring Lena Dunham, the show offers an unflinching and often raw portrayal of the post-grad experience. Lena plays Hannah, who with her friends dives head first into the messy realities of friendships, careers, relationships, and personal identity in an era marked by economic uncertainty and shifting social expectations. Through its candid storytelling and flawed, deeply human characters, Girls captures the awkwardness, ambition, and self-doubt that define the transition from college to adulthood, highlighting the challenge of carving out one’s place in a rapidly changing world.

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