7 Reasons Why the Transition From College to the “Real World??? is the Biggest Life Transition

I have always been told that the transition from high school to college is the biggest transition that I will ever have. I understand why I have always been told that; college is the first time you live on your own and can make majority of your own decisions. However, having been through that experience, I can confidently say that the transition from college to the ‘real world’ is gravely under-rated and significantly more taxing. Here is why:


Finding a Job

Applying to colleges and taking the SAT and ACT have nothing on applying for jobs. The extensive job applications, drug tests, and background checks are just the start of the process. For months you can be left in uncertainty as to whether or not you will be able to provide for yourself or if you will end up back at your parents. Aside from the time it takes for the application process, the judgment and rejections associated with finding a job can make even the most qualified and intelligent applicant feel inadequate.  

Uprooting Your life

For the past 4+ years you have spent ample hours in whatever city you have gone to school in and you have spent countless hours developing close relationships with your friends who inevitably have become your family. While you have had close relationships with people in high school, the relationships that you have developed in college are unlike any you have ever had before. “Adulting” means not only getting use to the new city you will live in, but it also means coming to terms with the fact that your best friend will no longer be a short walk or drive away when you need advice or a shoulder to cry on. 

Finding the Right Job

The goal when looking for a place to work is not just to find a job, but also to find the right job. Four years is a long time, and college is filled with experiences and relationships that change you. At the end of the four years, you may realize that you no longer want to do what you originally thought you wanted to, or that following a passion is more important than making money (or vice versa). It is then, at that moment (maybe walking around a career fair) that you feel lost and more unlike yourself than you have in a while because what you originally thought you wanted is not what you want now.

Being 100% Financially Independent 

For those of us who are fortunate enough to have our parents support us through college, being on our own means being 100% financially independent for the first time. Up until this point we have had this artificial idea of what the ‘real world’ is because we have not been fully financially independent. Now it is our sole responsible to pay the bills on time, make sure our credit cards aren’t compromised, and pay our taxes correctly. News flash: no one in college taught me how to do a tax return or how to balance a checkbook (so if you know how to, feel free to share your expertise). 

Having Less Free Time

One of the several benefits of college is that you are only in class for a couple of hours a day. This leaves majority of the day for studying, napping, socializing, watching Netflix, or working out. Adjusting to the “real world” means working 8+ hours a day; this means that nap-time will no longer be a thing and that new Netflix show you are dying to watch will have to wait until after 5pm. 

Having 8 a.m.’s Everyday

In college you are one of three things if you have an 8 a.m.: a freshman, unlucky, or psycho (if it is by choice). Maybe those people who we think are psycho for taking classes at 8 a.m. by choice are really the smart ones because they have started to condition their body to wake up before the sun is even up. Now, the joke is on us because having a real job means having to wake up real early to get there on time. 

Actually Having to “Suit Up” 5 Days a Week

Let me say first off that Nike shorts and a giant t-shirt are frowned upon no matter what company or industry you are going to work in. For many, this means purchasing an entire new wardrobe or pulling the cobwebs off of the suit that has been in your closet for the past three years and checking to see if it still fits. Regardless of your clothing situation, the ‘real world’ requires much more preparation for everyday than college did. Ladies– this means brushing your hair, putting on makeup, and wearing a dress and (at the very least) flats. Men– this means showering with soap, brushing your hair, and making sure that your shoes don’t clash with your suit each day. 

When I first went to college I was thrilled that I was gaining my independence and on my way to becoming an adult, but now that the time has come I find myself thinking, “I wouldn’t mind reliving those childhood years and having less responsibility???. If you are a college student, or about to embark on that experience, make sure to relish in the experience and take each day in– college goes by fast. If you are about to graduate from college, find comfort in that you aren’t alone in your feelings and that while those around you may seem like they have it together, more than likely they are just as lost and confused as you are.  

Exit mobile version