This piece is the second in a series of “Ask an Alum” columns that will be periodically published online through a partnership between Elon University’s Young Alumni Council and The Pendulum.

Whether or not you realize it, the majority of us spend our academic careers going to the same school with the same familiar faces. Graduation is that one amazing opportunity to go somewhere entirely new, completely different and maybe a tiny bit scary.

So if you’re considering veering from the traditional path of same ol’ same ol’, my advice for you is…

Do it. Definitely, definitely do it.

Here’s how:

1. Do your research. It goes without saying that every city is different. Check out what the personality of each neighborhood is like and how that lifestyle may line up with your life and personal goals. How does the average rent price compare with what you expect to make? If you don’t have a job lined up, what are common freelance jobs or supplemental sources of income that you can bring in at the start?

2. Use your network. Facebook is so much more than a way to procrastinate. Use social media to let people know about your upcoming move and see what unexpected resources might pop up. I found my first roommate through a friend-of-a-friend at Elon University. One of our first hang-outs was on the plane to Los Angeles to look for apartments.

3. Join everything. One of the toughest things about a new place is not having a social circle that keeps you as busy as your Elon life did. Search for things that sound interesting and start joining. My first crew of friends met one another in a kickball league.

4.  Be patient. It may take some time for that right group of friends and a job you love. Try to find beauty in the initial struggle and be confident that it will make the reward taste much sweeter. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to have everything perfect from the beginning. Just pick one thing and put everything you’ve got into it until that evolves into something new.

5. Follow your gut, not your friends. “Don't rush and settle for anything less than what you know in your heart you were born to do and what makes you — not your relatives and your friends from home — happy," said Elon alumna Marian Bruno in a discussion on this topic in the Elon Entertainment Group on Facebook.

Just remember, this is where that “life path” everyone’s been talking about does diverge, and everyone’s hurdles will be different. When you hit a wall (your ride fell through, your roommate smells funny) just keep on keepin’ on. Squeeze that lemon until you’ve made the best lemonade and vodka you can muster, and be sure to use as many clichés as necessary to do so.

… in other words: Best of luck, go Phoenix!

Join us Sept. 25 and Oct. 16 at 6:30 p.m. for our first couple Twitter Chats. You can find us at #ElonTweets. Bring your questions and we will bring the answers! Click here for more information about the Young Alumni Council.