With graduations quickly coming and going, what better time is there to talk about real world problems, especially the problem we like to refer to as "adulting?" Now for those of you who don't know, many of today's young people call the transition from high school or college into the real world "adulting," because it is basically the first time you actually get hit in the face with the harsh reality that your parents were too good to you the last 22 years or so, and now you actually have to grow up and learn how to be an adult like everyone else. In the past year since I left my parent's nest I have really learned the harsh truth about why adults complain so much about how much they have to do every day, so I have compiled a list of the five best steps to begin "adulting" like a pro.
1. Know that morning actually starts at 6 a.m.
This literally sounds like death for a lot of you, believe me I know. Mornings in high school were fairly early, like 7:30 or so if you actually made it to school on time, but by college noon is totally an acceptable time to sleep. Actually, anytime is an acceptable time to sleep. But let me be the first to tell you that adulting really begins when you no longer have to set your phone to 5:55, 5:56, 5:57, 5:58, and 5:59 praying that you'll be functioning by 6 a.m. enough to brush your teeth and drink that coffee. Let's just say real adulting means you literally cannot sleep past 5 a.m. because you totally need that extra hour to start tackling everything on your to-do list, no morning alarm necessary, but don't be fooled by this, you will be tired all the time.
2. Start utilizing your calendar app.
Wait, did you just read that right and people actually use that app on their iPhones that totally seemed useless before? Yes. The calendar app is like a total Godsend for adults whose lives are totally out of control and need to put some sort of schedule back into place. And, fun fact, you can actually sync your calendars with other people like you boss, friends or partners so that you can actually schedule time to spend together, because believe me, you will need to schedule in advance when you're a real adult.
3. Buy a cookbook.
Most people will laugh at this because fresh out of high school or college boxed mac 'n' cheese and canned raviolis can totally pass as an acceptable meal, but this is not true! Buy a cookbook and learn to cook. Learning to cook, especially staple food items, will really save you a lot of time because you can eat the same leftovers three days in a row (provided the mold does not become visible). Also learn to cook healthy meals while you're still young because your 30-year-old hips will thank you for skipping the microwave stage.
4. Save your money.
This step is actually more difficult than it sounds. Living with your parents is great, but when you are 25 and still at home and can't afford to move out, you'll wish you hadn't gone out every Friday night and blown your money. Also, adulting is expensive. Who knew that the bills literally add up overnight and you will actually start calculating the amount of hours you need to work to pay them all and hope that you have a little extra leftover so that checking your bank account doesn't make you physically cry.
5. It gets better in time.
The most important step to remember is that being an adult isn't actually all bad, I mean it just mostly is. Although learning how to be an adult is really hard, and I am still trying to master how my taxes/mortgage/bills work a year later, it is definitely getting better. I will say that my first month out of the house was really hard getting a handle on taking care of myself and eventually someone else, but it isn't all bad. This transition is one of the more challenging ones that you will face in your life, but once you master adulting 101, it definitely gets easier.
Oh, and one last step, have a killer Netflix queue because after a real day of adulting your going to need a solid hour of mindless sitcom television. But to everyone experiencing this transition, good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor, literally.
