This is the time in our lives that moves the fastest. We finish college, move away from our friends, and find jobs in the real world. This can pose as challenging to us twenty-somethings who are desperately trying to navigate the very new experience of adulthood. Here the the facts of life.
1. Lack of sleep.
So far, my experience has been that we go to sleep very late and wake up really early. Why? Because we want to watch Netflix until we realize that it's 3 a.m., and we realize we have school/work at 8 a.m..
2. Irritation.
This usually stems from the lack of sleep and the constant stress of having to get your crap together.
3. "So what are you planning on doing after school? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
I would love nothing more than for this question to completely disappear from the face of the Earth. I know that I'm an adult and should know what the hell I'm doing, but I have absolutely no idea. And I'm guessing that most of us don't.
4. Stress.
Seriously, there is so much stress. Until we're 22, we have to finish up school, then we have to look for a job, then we have to do well in that job while also finding time to get a boyfriend/girlfriend, going to the gym, eating well, and getting enough sleep to manage all of this. It's exhausting.
5. Still wanting to have a social life even though we are adults now.
Even though I'm an adult, I often struggle with wanting to go out while also having looming deadlines and actual responsibilities.
6. Regretting going out last night.
7. Regretting every decision you make, in general.
A lot of things seem like a good idea while you're 20, but usually they're terrible ideas. For example, maybe you shouldn't have bought that life-sized teddy bear from Costco that cost $130.
8. Having to constantly listen to other people telling you that you messed up.
Yeah, I know.
9. Having absolutely no money.
It's really hard to buy food, a car, gas, and be able to go out with friends when you have absolutely no money. This is the time in my life when I'll have the most physical energy to do all of these things, but I can't because my GPA is higher than my current bank account balance.
10. Realizing that, in the end, it's OK to make mistakes.
Even though our lack of experience makes us more likely to make mistakes, that's okay. We have the rest of our lives to learn from them and make them right. So, we shouldn't be too hard on ourselves. We'll figure it out.
