Thursday, 29 April 2010

  • 5 Tips for Surviving Life After College



    When I graduated from college in Florida 4 years ago, I was admittedly kind of clueless.


    After being in that much over-hyped "real world" for a while, I realized quickly that college life is definitely life in a bubble. Sure, you've moved out of Mom and Dad's house, but for the most part, you're not completely on your own financially yet, your meals are cooked in the cafeteria for you, and you haven't yet been exposed to the pressures of the full-time working world.


    Now that I'm in my mid-twenties, I've learned a lot about how to get by post-college. Here are just a few of them:


    1. Know that it's going to be much harder to make friends now. In college, you spend all your time surrounded by young people your age, and it's super easy to find people who share your interests and make for great pals. But you'll find that the work world is much more isolating, and as a result it can be tough to meet people outside of the co-workers you see all day. Nurture your friendships from college, but go out of your way to make new ones: join a book club, talk to people at the gym or ask friends to set you up on dates.






    2. Credit card debt is your worst enemy. Sure, it seemed like a good idea to sign up for that Mastercard at that booth they set up on campus. Hey, who could resist the free beach towel? But credit cards are a dangerous, dangerous game to start playing. I have friends who are in thousands of dollars of debt to Visa and American Express...how are you EVER going to pay that balance off, on top of all of life's other bills? Try to live without credit cards, or only use them if you'll pay the balance in full each and every month. It might seem fun to buy that pair of Jimmy Choos now, but it won't be nearly as fun 2 years from now when you're paying them off at 20% interest.



    3. Find a job, any job! Just a few years ago when I was graduating, the economy was still pretty robust, and most of us were landing jobs in our fields soon after graduation. But these days, the job market pretty much blows. Don't obsess about finding a job in your major right now; if you can, that's great, but it's more important to be on the payroll, ANYWHERE. You can keep hunting for your dream job, but in the meantime you'll learn a lot about the work world, meet new people, and you know, be able to pay rent.




    4. Buy new clothes. Now that you have that new job, don't wear jeans and hoodies! Head to stores like Ann Taylor and New York & Company and splurge on your new working-girl wardrobe. You're an adult now, and people will take you more seriously in your office if you dress the part. Enjoy it! This might be the most fun part of joining the 9-5 workforce for the next 80 years.



    5. Don't stress if you're single! I graduated college single, then graduated grad school single, and now I'm moving to a new city (recently) single. It seems my relationships happen only when I'm settled in a place and situation, which kind of sucks, because it would be nice to have a boyfriend there to help me physically (moving! ugh) and emotionally. But I think that going through these transitions alone has given me a lot of character and strength. Moving to a new place on my own meant I had to forge my own social circle and figure out a new environment without a boyfriend to keep me wallowing in my comfort zone. I was forced to make new friends and ask for help from people -- which is humbling. There's always another guy around the corner; enjoy your life for what it is at the moment.


    So those are my tips, Lovelies! What would you add, if you're out of college? If you're in college, how are you preparing for post-graduation life?


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