When I was in college, I anxiously waited to graduate. I couldn't wait to begin life outside of college and get a full-time job. This is why I decided to graduate a semester early. It was great to not have to go to class anymore, but I quickly learned that "adulting" is hard!
I began working full-time almost immediately after I graduated and it was nothing like interning. What is great is that I am constantly being challenged and I am working in a field that I love but I hate waking up early every day. In college, I could choose classes that were later in the day so I could sleep in late, now if I sleep in late for work I could get into trouble. Instead of looking forward to winter and summer vacation, I am looking forward to my vacation days (there aren't enough of them).
This was just my bad luck, but the first month of being a college grad, I had paid so much money in taxes, my car was hit in a parking lot, and my credit card bill skyrocketed. My expenses began to quickly pile up and I couldn't catch up because I was not used to being paid bi-weekly. Bi-weekly pay is the worst! I had to learn to manage my bills and spending so that I would have enough each week to live. I have been working at my job for 10 months now and I am still not used to it.
The first couple of months after I graduated I lived with my parents to save money. But my parents were moving at the end of the summer so I had to find a place fast. I moved into an apartment in Queens with my boyfriend and his best friend and I was so excited to move into my first place because I wanted to decorate it like the apartments I've seen on Pinterest. But after all of the bills were paid and the rent was paid, I barely had enough to go grocery shopping so interior decorating is not a hobby that I can afford.
Cooking and making your own dinner is a true sign of successful "adulting" however, I cannot cook to save my life. I miss the days when I would come home from work or school and my parents would have dinner ready on the table. Now, I come home and if I don't cook dinner there is no dinner. I have become a pasta-making pro but now that I am getting older and I am living on my own, I have to start making healthier meals-- it gets hard when everything organic is expensive.
I have learned a lot since being on my own and working full-time. It is a life that I am slowly getting used to, but this is an exciting time for me and my post-grad friends because we are beginning a new part of our lives. My advice to those who are still in college is to not rush to graduation. Enjoy the time that you have left of being a student before you enter the world of bills and responsibility.
