After fours years of college classes, I feel overwhelmed going into the real world. So far I have lived a nice and comfy life as a student, where my only job was to learn. Now that I’m graduating I feel like the carpet has been pulled out from under me. Yes, I might know how to write a lab report and measure a beaker, but there are several areas of life that I feel very unprepared for. They are as follows:
Taxes.
I still have no idea how to file my taxes. I depend desperately on my dad to do them for me. Every time I fill out a W2, I have a lingering feeling of doubt that I’m doing it wrong. This year I “tried” to have my dad show me how to do my taxes when my parents came to visit. My attempt to take responsibility was interrupted by a new Groupon for a local winery. Obviously, taxes were put on the back burner.
Changing a tire.
I consider myself a strong and independent woman, (except for when it comes to taxes) yet I have no idea how to change a flat tire. I don’t even know where my spare tire is. On that note, I also don’t know how to change the oil in my car. I’m pretty sure someone should have told me how to do these things by now. To be honest, I barely know how cars even work. Unfortunately, I also don’t know how to how to successfully use the bus; I’ve traveled to cities with light rails, subways, and trollies, but buses never fail to get me dazed and confused. I get lost and overwhelmed and intimidated because everyone on the bus seems to know exactly what they are doing.
Credit.
I have heard that having at lease four lines of credit is very good. But what is a line of credit? How do I check my credit score, and what exactly is my credit score used for? Should I own a credit card? Probably. Up to this point in my life the biggest financial planning that I’ve done was to set up my student loads and to make sure I paid rent on time.
These are just a few of many of things I need to learn before I am an adult. After going to college where your priorities are developing “book smart,” entering the real world is a tad frightening. My “street smarts” have not been fine-tuned, and that could be a problem. However, my college education has left me with one huge advantage, and that is how to think critically; how to explore an idea and how to learn from your mistakes. Yes, I might get ripped off when I buy my first car, and yes, I am not sure how often I am supposed to go to the doctor, but in the end, college teaches us how to take care of ourselves, and when that doesn’t work, it has taught us how to ask for help.
