15 HARSH TRUTHS GRADS DON'T WANT TO HEAR AFTER THEY WALK OFF THE STAGE

Thought I'd share this article with you. Lately I've been sharing articles ~~that are not mine~~ but fvck it. It's actually beneficial anyway.

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I graduated with the false hope that things would always stay this good, this easy, this fun. Life in the real world would become an extension of my crazy days in college: My friends and I would move relatively close to one another and continue to lead our self-loving, self-hating journeys together. We’d drink too much on Tuesday nights and all stumble into our high-paying, low-effort-required positions the next day; the work day would just be an extension of the perfect free-for-all college was.

Spoiler alert: Reality hits – hard – after you walk off the stage and into the unforgiving arms of Mother Real World. Suddenly life’s not so good, so easy, so fun.

There are job applications and loan repayment paperwork; there’s resume rewriting and the never-ending “So, have you given any thought to what you want to do?” questions. It’s like life is one big final and you’re flunking your way through, hovering somewhere between answer B and C when the correct choice is really A. While it isn’t always so topsy-turvy (trust me, you’ll figure it all out), those first months post-grad feel absolutely up-the-creek-without-a-paddle.

You don’t know whether to ditch the sinking ship or to stay on course. Here’s a tip: There are so many things you learn in school that you’ll never need in the real world — so pay attention to the lessons and experiences that really matter; they’re more useful than book smarts ever were.

1. Your diploma is just an expensive piece of paper.

No one is going to ask to see your diploma on an interview. At most, they’ll maybe ask where you went to school and what year you graduated. So instead of wasting time spit-shining your degree, spend time prepping for the things that really matter, like why you’re drawn to the company and what you bring to the table as a prospective employee.

2. Sooner or later, you’ll have to start repaying those loans.

Your grace period ends six months after you graduate, and you better bet your bottom dollar that bills will start rolling in with your name on them the minute you – and your wallet – are fair game. You can defer payments, or you can start picking away now. No matter how you spin it, you’ll have to pay them back eventually. If there’s one thing we all know: The government never forgets.

3. Moving back into mom and dad’s is actually a blessing in disguise.

You can stomp your feet all you want about leaving your parent-free digs in SoCal and moving back into your kid-approved bedroom back at mom and dad’s ranch, but trust us, free room, board and three home-cooked meals a day is a delicious deal. So stop complaining, they’re doing you a huge favor.

4. You won’t make six figures from the get-go – you’ll be lucky to make five.

When I first graduated, I had this lofty idea that I was just so desirable to the workforce that companies were going to be bending-over-backwards to hire me. It turns out that the joke was on me – because the only offers I did eventually get (like three years later) were for part-time roles that came with laughable pay. So, here’s a tip: Get ready for low-paying entry-level positions. They suck, but they’re a foot in the door.

5. The real world doesn’t dole out A’s for bullsh*t.

Remember just how good you were at stretching that measly four-page paper you wrote on capitalism and culture into the required 10-pages? You didn’t do any of the required reading, but with a little help from SparkNotes, you were able to piece together a decent argument (by your standards, at least) that got you an A. Guess what? No boss, coworker or manager is going to give two sh*ts about filler material. In the real world, it’s simple, either you did the work – or you didn’t. Better to learn that lesson sooner rather than later.

6. You probably won’t even like your first job.

When I got my first real start in this industry, I worked for a company that didn’t value its employees at all – and treated the people at the bottom of the totem pole (read: me) like garbage. You weren’t expected – or even supposed to – have any fun during the day and one of my “superiors” did everything she could to make me feel like crap. The silver lining is you won’t alwayshate your job (but if you do, that’s a bigger problem), so stick it out until you find something better.

7. Surprise! You don’t know much – in fact, you don’t really know anything. Accept it.

So you’re a wiz when it comes to Wordsworth? Congatulations to you – but it won’t get you much. The real world is loaded with on-the-job lessons that no college, high school or professor could prep you for. Just accept that you don’t know jack – it makes it easier, I promise.

8. Doing the Naked Bike Ride every year in college doesn’t make you “cultured.”

You don’t learn about society, gentrification, racism and the Gender Gap by riding your bike naked through daringly low temperatures in the middle of November. Sure, everyone gets a good laugh out of looking at your shrinkage, but are you really learning the perils crippling our culture? Survey says: No.

9. Cleaning supplies won’t buy themselves.

And they won’t magically clean your bathroom, either. If you’re going to have nice things, you’ve got to care for them. Or at the very least, hire a cleaner because that sh*t is gross.

10. The life you want won’t just fall into your lap – you’ve got to go and create it.

Waiting around for the job of your dreams to smack you in the face? Good luck with that. Real Worlders (and no, not the type on MTV) know that if you want something, you have to go out and carve it out for yourself. Make it happen. No one is going to give it to you because you worked hard for six minutes and now you’re pouting.

11. Maybe you’ll use your major; maybe you won’t – but no one will ever ask you about it.

Four years in my industry of choice and I can count on one hand about how many times someone has truly and sincerely asked me what I majored in. If it matters to you, that’s awesome, but unfortunately, the rest of us don’t really give a crap.

12. Your parents know more than you.

Remember when you were a tortured teen and mom and dad were doing everything they could to ruin your life because they knew nothing about what it was like to be young, wild and free? You’ll learn pretty quick that once you leave the cozy confines of college that mom and dad know a hell of a lot more than you – so it pays to pay attention.

13. Your current resume probably sucks.

I’m going to save you the embarrassment and let you know that no employer, at any point in all the history of anything, is going to give a damn that your hobbies include biking and reading or that you were once a waitress for three summers at a ritzy country club. If you don’t have work-related experience to provide, let your cover letter speak for you. Your resume should reflect your skills, not your crafting collection.

14. Real-world experience is much, much more valuable than that course you took on Dostoyevsky will ever be.

If you didn’t have the opportunity to do an internship while you were in school, start looking for one when you graduate and if you’re not exactly sure what you want to do, try a bunch of different internships to get a feel for what you like (and what you don’t). Nine times out of 10, you won’t get a job because you’re well read in Shakespeare and Milton – you’ll get it because you’ve been working for three years as an editorial intern for a major mag.

15. Being a Know-It-All isn’t flattering in any situation.

Never is, never was, never will be. Turns out listening is a much more desirable trait than being a jerky Know-It-All ever was. Who knew?!

whimsical tinker