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Rent? Heating bills? OH MY GOD, I HAVE TO TAKE THE TRASH OUT MYSELF??Jan 10 '02 (Updated Jan 22 '02) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Start planning now so you will be better prepared when the time comes then I was! Don't panic. Having been out of college and in the working world for five years now, I think I can safely say that making it in the real world is tough, but manageable! It still feels like only yesterday that I was in college, living the carefree life. Remembering the months prior to graduation evokes memories of uneasiness, anticipation and an uncertainty of what to do and what was to come. To this day, I still do not understand why colleges don't offer a "How to Survive in the Real World 101." Sure, my Buddhist Studies class was interesting, and I'm sure that *someday, somewhere* I'll use the information I learned in Mythology class, but the reality of it was this: I was clueless as I faced growing up, getting a job and going out there "on my own." From my own experience, here's what I have since learned: Socially Adapting to a big city, a small city, or any town that isn't the college campus you are used to can be hard. I know I was used to dialing your friends with an extension number. I could run open my bedroom door, walk down the hall in my PJs, and find three of my closest friends. (Now I have to visit various cities to do this!) To be honest, I think the social issue was the hardest acclimation I had to do in the real world. All your life, as you grow up, you are surrounded by peers. Friends are practically shoved in your face. And you're all going through the same thing together. When you get out of college, you enter the real world and everyone you interact with is at a different stage in their life. Your neighbor might be 80 years old, and you might actually have to *drive* to the nearest bar! What you need to know here is that you have to make an effort to meet people, and to interact socially. When I first graduated, I moved to Boston -- where several college peers were moving. Having people there I knew helped, but it wasn't enough. I joined a gym and I made a friend there. I had a full time job where I made several friends. Had I stayed on in Boston, I would have joined local clubs and other organizations. Another thing that is drilled into us as we grow up, that just doesn't matter for *squat* in the real world is age. In high school and in college, it seems to be such an important piece of information -- "what year are you?," "what grade are you in?" Remember that freshman you had a crush on when you were a senior who just couldn't bring yourself to date because of his/her age? Well, it just does not matter at all. Especially in the work force - and it is actually quite refreshing. You are viewed based on your skills, your personality and how you present yourself, regardless of age. Geographically Depending on what kind of college you are coming from, it can help to move to a city where your peers might be moving. As I said earlier, I moved to Boston and it provided the "crutch" I needed my first year out of school in making that transition. I think a decision like this is based on the type of person you are. I moved out to San Francisco my following year, where I didn't know anyone, because I wanted that fresh start -- and I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it without my college ties. However, I would not have been ready for this my first year out of school. For recent college grads, I think it is important to be in or near a major metropolitan area. The larger areas are obviously going to offer more socially. Today, I live 45 minutes outside of Philadelphia in the suburbs with a husband, two cats and although I don't have the white picket fence, I might as well. I would NOT have done well in this environment when I first graduated. You need to determine what is right for you. If you aren't a social creature, well then you can probably disregard the last point I made as well as this one. But if you are, and if you view your college experience as a very social one, then you should know that your geographical location is important. And hey, now is the time to do it. If you live on the East coast and you have always wanted to experience the West coast, GO NOW. You can become rooted to one area a lot sooner than you may think, and those first years out of college are the best time to experience other places. Financially I was unprepared to be poor. When I accepted my first job offer, the amount of money seemed like *so much* money to me. But then my first month rolled by and I had to come to terms with the following things: -Taxes. They will take a large chunk out of your paycheck. Whatever "offer" you receive, decrease it by 40%. That is what you will have to pay with. -401K. It may seem like a veeeeeery long way off, but someday you're going to retire, and the fact of the matter is, you have A LOT more power to stablize your future by putting away sooner. Most companies will offer a "match" of some kind based on the percentage that you put in. I highly recommend putting in as much as you can. If you aren't convinced, just enter "401K calculator" into a search engine and figure out the numbers for yourself. -random bills. Everything will start adding up faster than you can rate this epinion. You'll have to pay for heat, which chances are, you didn't pay for before. You'll not only pay large phone bills (calling all of your college friends who scatter all over the country.) but you have to pay for all sorts of little services you weren't aware you had to pay for. You'll have to get yourself an ISP (no more speedy, free college network...) Depending on your landlord, you could have to pay a water and trash bill! Be prepared to have to pay these bills on a monthly basis. Practically So you are probably pretty much freaking out at this point. Don't worry! It's all a lot easier than it sounds, and although the first few months are a shock, you will get the hang of things. You just need to be aware of what you face, and to start planning for your future now. It is in your best interest to plan for your graduation months in advance. What do you want to do? Where do you want to live? What kind of job are you interested in? These can all be very overwhelming questions. You also might be interested in post-graduate school. If you want to venture this route, you'll need to prepare for the GRE, GMAT, MCAT, LSAT, etc.. I actually recommend considering taking at least the GRE, if you aren't sure. There is certain information that will file itself away in the back of your brain and slowly become extinct after months and months out of school. Your best bet is to take some of these tests when the information is fresh in your mind. And if you aren't sure, hey, that's okay. You can spend a year or two working before you think about graduate school. If you aren't sure, one thing I will recommend is this: ask your professors for recommendations. Think how many students your professors have ever year? It is best for them to write you a recommendation while YOU are fresh to them. Depending on what school you go to, you should be able to use your college career center to file these way. Most schools will then offer a free service to mail your recommendations off to various schools you might decide to apply to later in life. Good luck! I could honestly go on and on, but at this point this is already one of the longest epinions I have ever written! I write everything here today with five years post-college experience and wisdom. These are things I did not know getting out, but wish I had.  |
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