There are many differences between going to college (Going to school=books, studying) and moving out of your college town. At first, the transition will be rough. As time goes on, the transition will be smoother as you get used to life in the real world. As with any change, the transition has its positives and negatives. Here are some of the changes you might go through when adjusting to life outside of college:
Rooms
In college, you probably had one tiny room. When I lived in Seagull Square, my bed and dresser took up the entire room. My room was hardly bigger than a cardboard box. Now that I’ve moved out, I have more room.
Social interaction
To meet people in college, you only had to step outside of your bedroom. As soon as I would step out into the lobby, I would see my friends watching TV or studying. There were always people in the lawn playing volleyball or Frisbee, as well as having barbecues. There were endless mixers to meet other people from your dorm, as well as fondue nights and Super Bowl viewing parties. I remember so much as setting foot into Cool Beans (the campus coffee shop) and finding someone that I know.
Outside of college, you’ll be on your own to meet people. You’ll mainly interact with family or coworkers. Meeting other people is entirely up to you, and you might have to join an organized activity to make friends.
Studying vs. real-world world
In college, you had professors and deadlines telling you what had to be done. You had to write a paper because it was due tomorrow, or you had to study for a test because it was in a week.
In the real world, you generally don’t have to study. Instead, you’ll be doing office work, waitressing, or performing physical labor. You still have deadlines, but it’s outside the structure of school.
Fewer to make mistakes
When you were in school, if you got a bad grade you could just try harder the next time. In the real world, you have fewer chances to prove yourself. If you don’t make a good impression at the interview, you don’t get another go (at least not with the same company).
Spending and making money
Going to college and getting an education, we pay money hoping to get a degree. With this degree, we aspire to a career to make money. When you have a job, you’re making money so you can spend it in order to live. It’s the whole difference of spending money for college to make money, versus being in the real world and making money.
Food
In the campus dining hall, you had many options. From pizza to Chinese to hamburgers, you never were running out of things to eat, and you never had to eat the same thing twice. If you’ve moved out by yourself, you probably cook one food at a time. If you’ve moved back in with your family, you’ll probably be eating whatever they’re eating. Looking on the bright side, homemade food is generally of a better quality.
Reading for class versus reading for leisure
In college, you were assigned textbooks for many of your classes. In the classes where I didn’t have textbooks, my professors assigned me reading on the class website. Now that you’re not reading for class, you’ll probably start reading fiction for leisure again. This is a luxury which I missed while studying (or, more accurately, procrastinating), and preparing for classes. Now that I’ve cast the school books aside, I’ve finished rereading the Harry Potter series. I’m looking for more fantasy novels to enjoy.
Freedom
The four (or five, or six) years you spent at a university were the first years of your life where you had pure freedom. Whether if it was the decision to go to Gull’s Nest at 11:00 at night or the decision to do (or not to) do your laundry, for the first time in your life you were the master of your own fate. Moving back in with your family, you will have to get used to their rules. It will take time to get used to having a curfew.
In short: you’ll make some money, you’ll meet your coworkers, and you may have less freedom (if you move in with your family). The transition from being in school since we can remember to suddenly finishing school seems uncomfortable at first, but it must be done. You’ll eventually learn to adjust to life with no homework and no studying and may even begin to enjoy aspects of your new life.
