After graduating in December and moving off campus, I realized the true learning process and "adulting" starts the day after you finish college. You practically dance to be out of the classroom, but little do you know, now you are in one giant classroom (involuntarily), with advanced classes that you didn't ask for: AP Finance, Honors Legal Forms, and Credit Improvement II. That's just the first semester.
Don't get me wrong, my business degree taught me so many helpful things: how to value a business, ROI’s, and using psychology as a marketing tool. However, there are a few things I wish I had learned before I got into this huge classroom of adulting and had to figure it out myself by asking awkward questions and by messing something up. Here’s a quick moment of thanks to my financial planner for sticking with me through this.
The first six months after graduation are a crazy learning experience. Here are some things recent grads like me may have learned while trying to navigate the classroom of Adulthood while trying not to step in gum.
1. Being able to afford a new car rocks. Insurance payments do not.
2. What the letters ‘IRA’ stand for. And why you should have one. While you're at it, make sure you know about 401K's.
3.You loose the ability to stay up until 3 a.m. nearly every night.
4. How to file taxes.US Tax Center
5. There are always three sides to any story: his, hers, and what actually happened.
6. Your hometown isn’t as terrible as high school you remembers.
7. It’s nearly impossible to find a decent home/apartment that welcomes your four-legged friend… unless you pay out.
8. Security deposits are a thing. You’ll have to put down money for basic services (water, gas, electricity) before you can even live in your new place.
9. Leftovers aren’t so bad. Cafeteria food wasn’t either, I guess.
10. Cafeteria Plans in your company's benefit package are awesome. You also learn this doesn’t mean you get a lunch allowance.
11. People will assume that you are still an intern due to your age even after you land your first full-time gig.
12. Budgeting is super important. Thanks, Excel.
13. The when are you getting married questions become more frequent.St Aloysius
14. Your family's opinion still matters a lot.
15. Before you even start paying your student loans, alma mater will already be hitting you up for donations.
16. What a Power of Attorney document is.
17. You'll still slouch, burn food, enjoy Disney movies, and occasionally make mistakes that you'd rather not admit to.
You may never fully be an adult and that is okay.
