Hey all you people new to the workforce! Whether this is your first summer job or you're fresh from college graduation and the real world is finally starting to set in, I’m sure at some point in your life you imagined the big and scary, grown-up world. However, after experiencing some time in the real world, things might not be how you were expecting them to be:

Expectation: You always look fab and feel like you’ve gotten a full night’s sleep.
Reality: You’re looking alright (on a good day), and you can’t seem to inhale enough coffee.

Expectation: You’ll spend your paychecks going to concerts and partying with friends.
Reality: Life costs money, and apparently, so do tickets to the Taylor Swift 1989. Decisions, decisions …

Expectation: Since you’re a working gal now (or guy), you have your whole life figured out and right where you want it.
Reality: Let’s not talk about that.

Expectation: Balancing your time becomes a lot easier because once you’re done with work, the rest of your day is free!
Reality: Cozy clothes and snuggles sound the best coming after a 9-to-5 workday.

Expectation: You’ll make a cool new work BFF who seems to read your mind and loves Pilates as much as you do.
Reality: So, you may have had one drink too many at your first out-of-office work function, and eye contact with anyone seems impossible at the moment.

Whether this is you or not, the real world can be scary! But that’s alright, it’s perfectly OK to be nervous! Anyways, best of luck to all you working people out there, and if you’re ever feeling down about your real world responsibilities just remember — everyone is new to the whole working thing at some point, it just takes a while to get used to!