What College Doesn't Teach You

There is so much that college doesn’t teach you before you graduate. You have lived in a bubble where everything has been controlled and monitored to cooperate with the current system. After college graduation, you are left with the question, what is next?

The stress and pressure of knowing what you are going to do can be overwhelming. People expect for you to have everything figured out, when in reality, no one has an idea. You might have the most elaborate plan after graduation, but get this, life happens and plans get derailed very easily. Here are some of the top things college doesn’t teach you.

The 9-5 Grind Doesn’t Have To Be Your Goal

Yeah, I said it. Our grandparents are probably rolling in their graves hearing that but it is true. You do not need to have a 9-5 job right off the bat. It is very hard to know exactly what you want to do with your precious life, so buy some time and have some fun. If you want to decent paying part-time jobs so you can live abroad, now is the time to do it. Working should no longer be soul-crushing. It should be enriching in some way. You should be gaining valuable skills from it whether they are life skills like learning how to cook for a restaurant or learning some new technology. The 9-5 life can feel like each day is on repeat with no end in sight. Use your young twenties to do what you want and live the life you have dreamed. If you have always wanted to live abroad, go for it! Apply for the work visa for a short period of time and see what it is like to live in another country.

Or, strive to start your own business. I will say you might start out working more than 9-5 but the hard work in the end will pay off. If you find a certain niche or create something new, you could be sitting pretty as your late 20s and early 30s roll around. Do something that makes you happy and brings some purpose in your life. Find ways to make a living without having to work your life away. You will be amazed by how much you can do with just a keyboard and screen in front of you.

Friendships Come and Go

By this point in your life, you know some friendships are not meant to last forever. People come into our life for a reason and a season. They teach us lessons, open our eyes to new ideas, and provide some sort of learning along the way. The friends you have made in college may not be there forever, but know that is natural. People move on with their lives after college, they find their new home, new reality and settle into their post-grad world. Communication falls off and if it does with one person, that might be your sign to move on as well.

You should be surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals that strengthen you and make you happy. If you have people in your life that are not supportive and not pushing you to be better, it is time to move on. The best people to be around are the ones that want to see you succeed and do good for yourself.

College doesn’t teach you how to remove people from your life. The small bubble keeps the same faces around making it hard to move on from a friendship that may have run its course. In the real world, it is quite easy to create space between you and someone else. You have your own life now and can choose who has access to it. Fill your life with meaningful people and know it is okay to remove someone if they are not where you are or if they simply hinder your personal growth.

Accountability Is A Must

Now more than ever you have to keep yourself accountable for your actions. There is no safety net to fall back on. If you make a mistake it is on you. You control your day to day. You have to choose everyday to be 1% better than you were the day before. You oversee your personal health, no one can do it for you.

You have one body, one spirit and one mind to take care of. Treat your body like you would treat a brand new luxury bag. Clean it often. On the inside and out. Eat well to nourish your body. Your body is not a garbage can. It is meant to help you perform at your very best every day. Fuel it with nutrients, supplements, and life-giving food. Take care of the outside. You will never be as young as you are today. Wash your body, do your skincare routine, make a difference in how you look and you will see a great confidence boost. When you look your best, you feel your best.

Make decisions that allow you to grow. Hold yourself accountable for the dreams that you have. Want to move to a new place? Do it. Find out how, ask others that have been there, and take the plunge. Times will get tough and there are going to be moments when you want to give up, but when you push through those hard times, you will see how you come out better on the other end.

Always wanted to put yourself out there to date? Take the leap of faith and join groups that you relate to your interests to meet others. You never know who you will meet and it could also turn into great friendships and relationships. Make it a point to put yourself in uncomfortable situations to break down the barriers you have.

Everything you now do, you must own it. Part of accountability is ownership of your words and actions. If you make a mistake, you accept it, learn from it and move on. Life is too short to dwell and if you work to hold yourself to a higher standard, you will continue to blossom.

Now, these are just three very simple things college doesn’t teach us. However, there is so much more you will experience post-grad that you might not have thought about.

What College Didn’t Teach Me by Amanda Maggiore is a gateway to post-grad life. Life post-grad has so many twists and turns that you could never see coming, but in the end, everything works out how it is supposed to. This interactive novel was written by a recent college grad that had no blueprint on what to expect in the real world. Read her post-grad story and learn from her mistakes so you don’t make the same ones.

If you have more questions about what college doesn’t teach you, feel free to email us, or DM us on TikTok or Instagram! We love to hear about the post-grad journey everyone has.

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