When you were in college, you probably started your day off in a frenzy as you realized you woke up well after your last of about ten alarms went off. The rest of your day was likely sprinkled with haphazard study sessions as you attempted to complete assignments and prepare for exams, all while staying up-to-date on social media. Your evening probably consisted of meeting up with friends in the dining hall for dinner and capping off the night by binge-watching one of your favorite shows. I could get into describing the typical college weekend, but I will just leave you with three words that likely sum it up: red solo cup.
However, after you graduate, life changes drastically. For those of you in your last year, or approaching your last year of college, or for those of you who just graduated and are experiencing this first-hand, CGD would like to give you a heads-up on the totally normal but terrifying things that happen after University is over!
1.Independence turns into responsibility.
When you first arrived at college, you were probably super excited to be on your own. You were free to live life as you pleased without feeling like your parents were hovering over you with excessive intrigue or questioning. However, after you graduate from a university, responsibilities arise. Like real responsibilities. You now have bills to pay: rent, electric, gas and cable. Long gone are the days when these things were given to you for free. Enter sad face emoji here.
2. Your social network turns into professional networking.
When you were in college you probably spent many a time perusing Instagram or stalking cute boys on Facebook by day. However, by night you emerged from your dorm room all glammed up and ready to get your social butterfly on. Now that you are a member of the real world, you may still dabble on social media, but you’ve come to realize that your flirting tactics aren’t of much use in the professional world. Instead of liquid courage, you have to muster up the real kind in order to present yourself appropriately and make friends with professional colleagues.
3. Late night parties turn into early nightcaps.
When you were in college you likely spent the earlier hours of the evening pre-drinking with friends, which only escalated as the night progressed and you found yourself at parties surrounded by the rest of the campus population. However, now that you are a career girl, your days of pre-drinking are behind you. Unless your one glass of wine after a long day at work counts as a prelude for bed.
4. Weekends spent catching up on homework turn into weekends catching up on chores.
When at a university, Saturdays and Sundays were reserved for desperately trying to write a ten-page paper due on Monday or reading an entire novel for your literature class, also due on Monday. Once you’ve entered the world of a career girl, your Saturdays and Sundays are filled with chores. You know, grown-up chores, like cooking, doing laundry and cleaning the apartment. Sigh.
5. Attempts at self-discovery turn into attempts to prioritize.
When you’re in college, you spend four years trying to figure out who you really are. But after you graduate, you will spend the next few years trying to figure out what you really want. You learn what matters to you the most in both your personal and professional life. These later years of your second decade are a pivotal time when you come to realize your priorities and you start to develop a plan to help get yourself to where you want to be.
So there you have it! This period of every career girl’s life is a huge adjustment, but it is a transition and a process that will lay the groundwork for what lies ahead. So be daring and dive right in!
Featured Photo Courtesy Of: Girl Of Fifth