It is crazy to think that it has been a year since I graduated from college. Looking back on this year I have changed so much as an individual and I learned a lot of new things since being on my own. Here are some things I wish someone had told me before I entered the "real world."
1. Live with your family for as long as possible
I was always the type of person who was convinced I would never move back home after college. It wasn't what you were "supposed to do." Boy, do I regret having this mindset now.
When I graduated college, I had a job at the company I wanted but it was only part-time. I didn't want to commit to renting an apartment since I didn't know if this occupation had an ultimatum. Luckily, my aunt and uncle had recently moved 45 minutes away from the city where I was working. And even luckier for me, they agreed to let me stay with them...FOR FREE.
Let me just say, if you have the opportunity to live with your parents, family members, or friends for cheap, or even better for free, you have to take it! Swallow your pride and pocket the money that would have gone towards rent. Whether it's for a few weeks, months, or even years...you will not regret it. Plus having homemade meals at your disposal is the best!
2. You don't need to secure your dream job right out of school
This is another misconception for most graduates. Most people have the mindset that if they haven't secured their dream job right out of school then they have failed. But this is not the case at all.
For most careers, it's all about who you know. You could have a ton of experience but not get a job you are totally qualified for, because you're an outsider. And sometimes that is just how it goes. On the other hand, you could have very limited experience in a field but get hired for a job because you know someone at the company who can vouch for your work ethic. Is this fair? Not always. But it happens. So make the most out of every job you have, and learn something new from it everyday.
It is also in your best interest to network with as many people as possible, because you never know who you might meet. One connection I made told me that he was working the cashier at a gas station, when a TV production manager asked him out of the blue: "Do you know anything about audio? If so I have a job for you." This simple encounter led to a career in TV working for all the major Boston sports teams.
So no matter where you are working after graduation, maybe it's a job in your career, or a server at a restaurant, meet as many people as you can and share your interests with them. You never know what type of opportunities they might be able to help you find.
There are also so many post-graduation alternatives out there that you can choose from. Travel the world with your best friend, volunteer for a local or international organization, or just work part-time to save up for your next big move. Just be intentional with your time.
4. Make a budget
Now that you have graduated, there are a lot of financial decisions you will most likely need to start thing about, whether you are living at home or moving into your own space.
Most importantly, student loan payments will likely be coming due for you about six months after graduation, so PLAN ACCORDINGLY. Save up during the summer so you won't be stressing when the repayment day comes. You may also want to look into your options for loan consolidation if you think you will need to go down this road.
Talk with your parents to see if they will help you get started. Whether that may be keeping you on their cell phone plan, lending you money for the first month's rent, or just helping you set up a budget, hopefully your family will help to make the transition period as simple as possible! (I personally use MINT.com for my budgeting needs and I love it! It is completely free to use and allows you to keep track of all of your expenses in one place.)
If you moved into your own place make sure you think about ALL the expenses involved. You most likely won't be just paying for rent, but for any utilities as well such as electricity and internet.
If you have a full-time job and qualify for benefits, take advantage of them! Not only might you have access to health insurance and a retirement plan, but a lot of companies provide coupons for other activities too, such as gym memberships, travel, and more!
5. Learn to do things by yourself
No matter if you moved back home or are living in a brand new city, odds are that you won't know as many people in the area. Be prepared to try new things on your own, or put yourself out there to meet new people. You many feel lonely at times, but don't let the emotions stop you from trying new things!
7. Transitional anxiety will hit you at some point
I never thought I would be the type of person who would struggle with the transition to adulthood. Since high school, I always had my next step planned out: go to college, work hard to guarantee you have a job after graduation, and move into a new apartment. I always put a lot of pressure on myself to achieve these things, and luckily enough, I actually did it. But a few months into my job, once I officially moved into my new apartment, I started to feel stuck.
I was no longer living with my best friends in a dorm. In reality my closet friend lives 30 minutes away, and her work schedule does not match up with mine. Not even close. I had recently broken up with my college boyfriend, and so I began to feel really alone. I work the weekends, which makes it even harder to have a social life, and I started to experience loneliness on a level I had never experienced before. Since then, I have learned to be okay with being alone more than ever before! I picked up new hobbies, started working out more, read new books, binged a lot of Netflix, and worked on reaching out to people instead of waiting for them to reach out to me.
For some of my friends, this transitional anxiety hit them at various times. Some people felt the pressure before graduation, stressing about which job offer to accept, or whether they would even have a job offer at all. The summer hit hardest on most, as they moved back home and began applying to jobs and grad schools. The fall after graduation was the weirdest time of all for me. Everyone was moving back to college, and here I was working in a job that I could potentially work in for the rest of my life.
So no matter if this anxiety hits you the day after graduation or a year after graduation, know that you are not alone! Everyone feels some sort of transitional anxiety, just some more than others. Take a deep breath, find a path that excites you, and chase after it....not matter how long it takes you to get there.
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