In college, we have it easy. We don't have to pay student loan debt. We can make plans with people to meet at the quad. Things are easy. You don't have to worry about much besides getting to class on time and exams. But, nothing you do in college prepares you for real life. Kind of like how in high school, you learned the Pythagorean Theorem, and you have yet to use it.
1. Making plans
You have to work around two schedules where neither of you are in the same location at any given time. Unlike college, where at least y’all were on the same campus.
2. Paying off student loan debt
“It’s like digging yourself out of a hole with a spoon instead of a shovel.”
Here are some tips:
- Pay on time. I can't stress this enough!!!
- If you can't find a job, DEFERENCE DEFERENCE DEFERENCE. It will become your best friend. If you qualify, you don't have to pay your loans for a year because they'll give you that grace period. But try to pay off some interest here or there if you can.
- While the idea of income-driven repayment sounds good... Don't do it. It could help you now, but the more you make, the more they expect. And they take your spouse into account. You'll have to submit an annual income verification form too.
- Try to pay more than what your monthly payment is when you can. But remember that if you do that it'll "roll over" that extra to the next month, so always just get in the habit of paying that standard payment — this will get you ahead so if you ever lose a job you can miss a payment or two.
3. Most of your friends are in different stages of their lives
Some are single, some are dating, some are married, some are working part-time, some are working full-time, and some are still in school.
4. Making new friends
You have to deal with people who already have their own friends. In Kindergarten, you made friends based on your crayons or something simple like that. Now, you don't have that simplicity. You have to ask them questions to get to know them. It's much harder when you are older.
5. The number of bills you have out here in the real world
Garbage, water, power, cable, rent/mortgage, car insurance, homeowners insurance, and car tag to name a few. Oh, then add taxes every April.
6. Groceries
They are expensive, and if you are starving when you get home, you still have to cook a meal. But, eating out is unhealthy and if you eat out nightly, most likely you have spent more on that then you would have on groceries.
7. Your college degree actually doesn’t help you if you can’t find a job in that field
That interior design degree doesn’t help you get “paid more” if you are working in insurance.
8. Credit card debt
Paying off credit card debt on one card increases your utilization (from the balance on the other card) which therefore decreases your credit score which in turn hurts your ability to get a car loan and sign on a lease.
Here is a tip: pay off all your credit cards at once instead of working on the highest interest or lowest balance first. It looks like it would make sense but it hurts you in the end.
*Citations: The tips about student loan debt came from my friend Cassidy who has been in the after-college life longer than I have; yet, isn't "grown" yet.
