Let’s Talk: Life After College (“The Real World”)

When sitting in a college class, all you hear from your professors is "just wait until you get out into the real world" and that always stumped me a bit. Real world? Is this not the real world? Many professors are referring to the downpour of additional responsibilities that hit you after college, including getting a job in order to provide for yourself, paying bills, and for many of us, paying off student loans. Upon graduation, you'll be stepping out of your college bubble.

Honestly, everything I'm experiencing seems pretty natural and mostly familiar to me. The biggest change would be that I'm spending 40 hours of my life per week in an office, rather than bouncing between classes and a part-time job like I did in college. I had worked full-time for a summer while I was still in school, but working full-time all the time has been an adjustment. Now I spend most daylight hours indoors at my desk.

Since I worked throughout college, something that I appreciate so much now is not having homework to do when I get home from work. Of course this depends on the kind of job you have, but in my case, I'm done working as soon as I get home. I can let go of the day and do things around the house or just relax. Of course there is always some other kind of "work" to do, but it's nice knowing that there aren't any exams to study for. Even though work provides a new set of stresses, I have found relief in not having to worry about schoolwork ever again!

I lived in the dorms all four years of college, so I didn't live in an apartment until after I graduated. Paying rent, internet bills, and electric bills were all new to me and Justin. To be honest, I'm unfamiliar with the sting of the "real world" because I honestly have found this transition to be SO refreshing! I enjoyed college so much, but I was so mentally and emotional prepared to take the next step long before graduation day came. I'm definitely not one of those people who mourned the end of college whatsoever and I'm so happy with where I'm at. It's so much nicer to come home to my big, (at least in comparison to a dorm) cozy, personalized apartment with Justin.

Something else I love about being a college graduate is that I no longer have to say what aspirations I want to work toward after college, because that's now the present! I have dreams of starting my own business (for those of you who know me, this comes of absolutely no surprise — I even have a name picked out, is that weird?!) and I no longer have school holding me back. When will these aspirations come to life? Only time will tell, but you best believe my blog readers will be the first to know! ;) The future is now, and that's such a good feeling. I can now work toward these things every day because the end result seems so much more tangible now. I can't wait to continue to explore all of my passions and find my true niche.

(My fiance Justin and I at the pumpkin patch and sunflower field on Oct. 1)

And now that I've made the transition to post-college life, I'm even more excited for what's to come. I can't wait to get married, buy/build our first house, get a dog, start a family of our own, and so much more. I'm in love with life's possibilities and building a life with Justin.

What changes have you experienced since graduating college and what is your opinion on "the real world?" Leave me a comment and share your thoughts, experiences and goals — let's talk! :)

I hope you all have a great weekend!