I don’t think enough people talk about how different the post-grad life is from the university student life. I didn’t even really realize how much my life has changed until I started reflecting about my daily habits and how much I’ve grown in the past two years. To help prepare others for this difficult transition, I listed out a few things I’ve learned since graduating that has helped me in my working life.
I realized that I am in control of my life and future
During university, everything was pretty much planned out for us. After I chose my degree and specialization, I had a list of course requirements that I had to complete to graduate. After, we were supposed to find full-time job after graduating. But now, as adults, I learned that the future of my life is whatever I want it to be. I no longer am held against the guidelines of a school system. I can turn my life around or continue to keep doing the same things over and over. It’s scary to be so liberated, but it’s also made me realize that there are so many opportunities I could pursue.
I adjusted to having a set schedule
In university, we had the luxury of choosing our own schedules and planning out when we would be in class. Now, working a 9-5, there’s not that opportunity anymore. Sure, many companies are flexible with work hours, but ultimately most people continue to stick to a regular 9-5 schedule. Realizing this, I’ve adjusted my sleep schedule (slightly) to be able to wake up early to start work on time. I also planned out my evenings to have enough time to relax and do my hobbies as well. This new type of schedule is definitely an adjustment. But it’s ultimately up to you to work around it to fit in the things that are important to you in order to live the life you want.
I explored more hobbies
I opened up my world of hobbies again now that I’m not constantly surrounded by clubs and friends. It’s really fulfilling when I have something to look forward to doing after I’m done with my workday. Lately, I’ve rediscovered things that I liked to do when I was younger, like reading, exercising and writing. It’s been really nice to be able to explore new things that maybe you didn’t get the chance to in school. Or things that you didn’t necessarily have the money to do until now.
I learned a lot about personal finance
Once you graduate, the reality of taking on your own financial matters really sinks in. Especially if you were lucky to not need to worry about it while in school. I started to spend time reading about the terms of my student loan payments, different kinds of savings accounts, and investments. I’m still learning how to be more financially responsible so I can make the most out of my money. Taking the time to learn about all of the aspects of personal finance is truly a privilege. It’s also a form of self-care and I think is a critical part of post-grad life.
I realized how important a good morning routine is
Starting to work a 9-5, I started to see the repercussions of not having a good morning routine. While I was in school, my schedule was often changing day-to-day. I had more flexibility of what my mornings and routines looked like. Working a job where I needed to be on time at the same time every morning led me to see that I needed to optimize my mornings so that I could be prepared and not rushing out the door. I also found it important to take time for myself in the morning to do some self-care activities. Things like meditating, writing in my gratitude journal and stretching made me feel a lot better throughout the day. These are all things that help me get through 8 hour workdays that I didn’t have to think about while I was in school.
I realized that I need to take care of my body and self
Once you have to get up for work every weekday and you start to get older, you realize that you can’t ruin your body the same way you did while you were in school. Your body takes longer to recover from nights of partying. You also start to develop stomach issues from stress or some other health concern that may arise. By spending the time nurturing your body properly with the right nutrients, movement and mental care, it really helps mitigate these problems and make you feel better overall. I definitely learnt this the hard way, after neglecting my body for a few weeks at a time, I start to realize that I don’t feel good and I need to make a change.
Conclusion
Overall, life is pretty different in the post-grad world compared to university life. I hope some of these lessons helped you prepare for life after university and can make the transition easier. Let me know if any of these surprised you by commenting down below, DM-ing me on Instagram or sending me an email!
