Remember the good ol’ days when there wasn’t a care in the world? Or how about the time you wished you were older so you could do what you wanted and not have Mom and Dad always telling you no. Welp…the time has finally come. You’ve just graduated college.
Now what? ADULTING! Yay (not really)! So, here are 8 signs your dreams have finally come true. You have now commenced adulting.
1. BILLS. BILLS. BILLS.
Not only do you have you have to schedule your own doctor’s appointments, but you have to pay for them too! Who knew insurance and medical bills could get so expensive. Oh! And let’s not even start with that credit card bill. I bet you’re really regretting that $500 Spring Break trip with your “besties” right about now. We all know that could have gone towards all the $$$ you have accumulated on that piece of plastic in your wallet.
2. Budgeting. Yuck!
Paying bills is one thing, but now you’re telling me that spending $200 on a dog bed isn’t a legitimate purchase?
Wait! No more calling Mom and Dad when I need more money? No more random deposits of $100 in my account?
Nope! Unfortunately, those wonderful days are gone. Budgeting is a big part of adulting, and it’s time to start being responsible with your money. I hate to break it to you, but the days of over-drafting your account or only leaving $5.00 to your name isn’t going to cut it anymore.
3. As Rihanna once said: Work, Work, Work, Work, Work, Work.
No more spontaneous trips to the beach when there’s no school tomorrow, because work has now become your life.
While many of your friends are enjoying their new found “summer” freedom, you’re left asking yourself “what is summer?” You almost feel like you need to record yourself and play it on repeat, because every time someone asks you what you’re doing tomorrow you respond by “working, you?”
4. What is sleeping in?
Gone are the days when staying up late was a weekly occurrence. Our bodies have now been set to "lame."
It’s 10 p.m. and before you know it you’re ready for bed. You know the drill: Wake up, Eat, Work, Sleep, repeat. We are lucky enough to get in a good work out because working has taken up so much of our energy. 9-6pm is exhausting.
Oh, and the weekends are the only time to run errands so don’t even think about wasting your time sleeping in. You've got things to do.
5. Responsibilities… why?
You’ve just received your degree that you worked so hard to earn, so show it. It’s now time to rethink those drunken pics on your Facebook. That cheesy Instagram handle you created with your name creatively incorporated into a pop song, yea...it’s probably time for that to go.
Employers quite often look at those types of things. Unfortunately, there comes a time when we all have to grow up, and that time is now. You are now officially college educated, make sure you act as such.
6. That planner you never used in school, yea, it’s now your best friend.
Between appointments, weddings, vacations, getting your car serviced and hanging out with friends, that all have to be scheduled now.
There are so many new things you’re responsible for. The last thing you want is to get important dates mixed up. Wanna grab drinks with friends after work on Friday, you’ve got to check the planner to make sure mom and dad weren’t going to come and visit you that weekend.
Don’t forget the laundry in the washer! Oh, and have you taken the dog out yet?
7. Your co-workers quickly become some of your closest friends.
If you’re like me, most of your friends and family live in a different city. It takes hours, or even days, to drive and see them.
You spend so much time at work, in such close proximities, that your co-workers have become some of your closest friends. Scared no one will remember your birthday? Don’t worry, it’s been on the work schedule for weeks!
They’re just as excited as you are about the "surprise" birthday luncheon!
8. You hate to admit it, but…you actually miss school.
Yes, lectures were long, and tests were hard, but you actually felt smarter after they were complete. College was an opportunity to feel like a part of something bigger than yourself. It was a community where we all had one thing in common.
Everyone was in the same boat and everyone was just as stressed and exhausted as you were. Not to mention it was perfectly normal for y’all to get together to complain about all the small things you actually had complete control over.
School was your safety blanket. Every day you knew what to expect, and Happy Hour was always on the weekly menu. While there was much to complain about, we quickly realized that our parents were right when they told us that college was going to be the best years of our lives.
