If you think college was hard, difficult, or soul sucking... you should brace yourself because you are in for a shock! The most challenging class you will ever take is called “The Post-Graduate Life” and if you do not remain optimistic, you will fail.

 

Last year, I traveled to New York to visit my wonderful friends and teammates that attend my alma mater. My trip seriously made me contemplate the pros and cons of my post-grad life. I came up with five horrific realities of adulthood that completely slapped and punched me in the face during my transition from a student to an adult. I believe that if someone voiced these realities to me before I graduated then maybe I would not be going through a quarter-life crisis now! I could have better prepared myself for this stage of life.

 

Grab a pen and pad, ladies and gents. You have to write down these horrible realities of adulthood! Maybe this will prepare you for the first six months out of the college “bubble.”

 

*Disclaimer: I use a humorous tone to discuss the horrific and unfortunate realities of adulthood.

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1) The Sense of Uncertainty

 

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The day I graduated was amazing. I felt fantastic about myself both as a student and a person. When the day after graduation came I felt.... well, let’s just say I didn’t feel so good. Frankly, I was freaked out and stressed out.

 

Unlike all my friends, I did not have immediate plans to attend grad school or for employment. Not knowing where I will be next year, next fall or even next month was scary! However, sometimes not knowing is good. It forces you to adapt, network, and tap into hidden skill sets you didn’t know you had.

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2) The Social Life Enigma

 

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Chilling with housemates, eating Domino’s with friends at 3am, watching Netflix with teammates...all of this comes to an abrupt halt when you have to wake up at 6am for your job. In the real world, you no longer have this thing called a “social life.” If you work as much as I do, the social life you have is very minuscule.

 

I have found it increasingly difficult to keep in touch with high school and college friends. We are just too busy...busy trying to deal with our quarter-life crisis!

 

Making new friends while working is an also unconquerable task because you are either too tired, too busy or too “hangry” (hungry+angry) to even think about forging new relationships with strangers. Somebody should have told me to expect this! 

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I literally have to plan out all my social outings and write them in my calendar just to make sure I have time to be a normal 23 year old. At least being too busy for a social life made me more organized, right? 

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3) Waking Up at an Ungodly Hour

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I have always loved to sleep.

 

I do not think people really understand. For four years, I would wake up at 9:00am and take naps REGULARLY at 1:30pm. My adult morning routine, however, requires me to do something completely different! I have to actually wake up early and stay up for more than 12 hours. IS THAT NOT RIDICULOUS???! 

 

My morning struggle goes like this:

 

Everyday I climb out of my cozy little daybed around 5:30am. This leaves ample time (*sarcasm*) for me to take a speedy 5 minute shower, 10 minutes to get dressed, and 5 minutes to zoom down to the DART station (the mass transit system in Dallas). During my lovely 40 minute ride to downtown, I professionally smudge some make-up onto my face and do my hair in front of 15 other DART riders. When my stop arrives, I get off and sprint to my office.

 

College students, are you not excited to experience this?!

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4) Commuting 

 

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Did you catch my 40 minute train ride?

 

Well, that’s just for one way. If you add in round trip and walking, I spend 110 minutes commuting per day.

 

That may not be a lot for some, but that’s absurd for me! I am used to walking a maximum of 15 minutes to class or taking a quick 10 minute walk to the local Thai restaurant.

 

My commute is a thief!

 

It is quietly stealing, nibbling and wasting my time! Time that could be used to apply to what I LOVE to do....sleep.

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5) Bills 

 

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Can you pay my bills? No? Well, neither can I!

 

What are bills? I don’t want to pay them. This is the main reason why I did not want to be adult! Before graduating, I happily spent 90% of my discretionary funds on food, clothes, and my wine club membership. Now that I’m emerging into adulthood (*sobs*), I have to budget, pay student loans, and buy professional clothes instead of purchasing alcohol, trendy clothes and etc.

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While I am happy to be paying for myself, I am sad because I am perpetually broke. 

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THE END

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*Okay, so maybe my realities are not that horrific! 

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If you like this post please comment, share and subscribe!

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Question: Tell me about your Post-Grad problems. What do you hate about life after college? Students, what challenges do you face after graduating?

 

Until Next Time, 

 

Tay

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"Your life is happening now. Let's make it amazing!"