Graduation may seem like centuries away when you first step on campus. It's hard to imagine a life outside of college - one where Bascom Hill no longer takes center stage. But, for many people, post-grad life will begin somewhere far from Madison. According to the Office of the Provost’s Annual Alumni Residency Report, 33% of Badgers live outside of Wisconsin after graduation from UW. Although it’s common, we realize that moving to a new city for a job or even an internship over the summer can be daunting, so we thought we’d put together some resources to help ease the stress.
For one, on Friday, November 22nd 2019, WASB is teaming up with SuccessWorks, Northwestern Mutual, and the Wisconsin Alumni Association to bring you an event titled Beyond Wisconsin! It is a semi-annual event dedicated to helping Badgers prepare themselves to move to new cities for jobs or internships.
We also sent out a survey to Badger alumni this past week to hear what recommendations they have for students about to embark on their own journeys in the same cities. Responses were collected from Badgers in cities like Milwaukee, San Diego, Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis, San Francisco and more! Here is a preview of what they had to say.
Best area(s) of town for recent graduates/young professionals to live in?
Milwaukee: East Town, Downtown, Third Ward
Atlanta: Buckhead, Old Fourth Ward, Inman Park, Midtown
Twin Cities: Uptown, North Loop, Grand Ave
Best place(s) to meet up with friends & new people?
Washington D.C.: DuPont, 14th Street, The Mall
San Diego: Pacific Beach, Encinitas
Milwaukee: Festivals, Coffee Shops, Public Markets
Recommendations for day trip destinations?
Chicago: Botanical Gardens, Boat Trips, Lincoln Park Zoo
Twin Cities: State Parks, Duluth, MN’s Largest Candy Store
Atlanta: Athens (for Georgia football game!), Savannah, Asheville, NC
Ways to get connected with Badgers in these areas:
Alumni groups on Facebook
Wisconsin Alumni Association directory
Attending Beyond Wisconsin!
While this is just a snapshot of what Badgers are doing these days, hopefully this gives you a good start! There are so many ways that Badgers stay connected after their time in Madison because, no matter where you are, the Badger connection holds true anywhere.
If you’re interested in hearing more advice about specific cities or on figuring out your post-grad finances (another daunting idea, we know), then RSVP here for Beyond Wisconsin!