Just Graduated College? Now What?

It’s been four years of studying and fun, and now you’ve graduated and it’s time to “adult”. The prospect of graduating college and moving into the real world can be overwhelming. Now you have to find a job, pay bills and basically exist on your own. The transition from college life to the real world can be scary, but if you make a plan and don’t take yourself too seriously, you can make the transition as smooth as possible.

The Real World

Yep, it’s time. The real world is calling you. You’ve been educated and now it’s time to be a contributing member of society. Don’t let older people who have been in the work force awhile bring you down. When you start your new job, there will inevitably be that grumpy group that wants to bring you down. Avoid these people. You will always have the naysayers at your work place, but you don’t need to be one of them. Keep a positive attitude and outlook. Yes, this may not be your life long job, but it’s your job now and the way you look at it and perform it will ultimately determine what you get from it.

Your Friend Finds Instant Success

That one you partied with all through college? Yep, that’s the one who is moving to a big city and stepping effortlessly into the perfect job. They are making the kind of money that you dream of making one day. You might be envious looking at their social media posts of their perfect job and mastering adulting. Don’t get caught into the comparison game, you too will be successful if you put the work in.

Paperwork

Remember when you didn’t have to pay your own taxes, insurance, and rent? Well those days are over and it may seem you are drowning in the paperwork that accompanies all of these new responsibilities. It is important for you to create a system of organizing your paperwork and keeping it in a place that is easily accessible. You don’t want to take for granted that things such as insurance, taxes and your 401K are taken care of by your employer. Reading these documents and keeping them handy is part of being an adult.

College Loans

Be sure you have a plan to pay back your college loans. These will not go away and you do not want to ignore them. You can see about consolidating your debt from school and paying one payment. Not paying your loans can get you into a lot of financial trouble in the future.

When you graduate college you most likely are going to start from the bottom and that’s okay. Recognize this as a starting point. This is not your final job, or even your final position with this particular company. You’ve got your foot on the ladder and now it’s time to climb it. Be persistent, patient and give yourself time. Enjoy being an adult, enjoy the real world, and you will conquer it faster than expected. Contact Carolina Money Minders with any financial questions you might have.