It's 11:52PM and I'm laying in bed, eating a bowl of cocoa pebbles, and creating an internal list of reasons why I shouldn't clean my room. This is everything I dreamed the post-grad life would be when I walked into college back in 2010. In fact, not much has changed since then, except everything.

Here's my list of the top five things to do after graduation.

1. Don't quit your day job

Literally, DON'T QUIT YOUR DAY JOB. You know that waitressing job you have had since your first year of college? The one that you hate and tell yourself everyday that you're going to quit? Yeah, you should keep that. Not only will you want to have it in order to get a jump start on those student loans (they start coming in six months after you graduate), but you're actually learning some really necessary traits that will only increase your chances of landing that dream job you've always wanted. Stick it out until you can live comfortably in the job you love.

2. Travel

The week after I graduated, I took a much-deserved mini-vacation to Florida so that I could do what every adult wants to do: visit Harry Potter World. In February, I took my first international trip to Europe. I really can't stress enough that there's a much larger world out there and you definitely need to explore it. I was born and raised in small-town Kansas so my idea of "culture" was spending an afternoon at the local Sonic. Traveling has opened my eyes to the ideals and values of other cultures and communities. That's not something you can learn if you stay in one place your whole life.

3. Start paying off your debt

It's really no surprise that credit card companies target college students because we all like to think that we're responsible enough to have a piece of plastic with a credit limit that could only be matched by selling one of our internal organs. I have three of those. Luckily, I'm actually very smart about spending money on credit but I did acquire about $1000 collectively on my three cards throughout college that I was anxious to pay off. I also bought a new car as a "congratulations for not flunking out of college" present to myself. Take the six months after college to pay off that debt or start saving for those student loan payments. If you don't have ANY debt (you go, you), start saving for the future!

4. Spend time with family and friends

I spent the majority of four years of my life away from my parents and siblings. In that time, my sister had a baby, my "baby cousin" graduated high school, and my parents started calling our family dog my "little brother." A lot of things can happen when you're away for so long. The time you have before entering into the workforce full time should be spent catching up with friends back home and helping your parents learn how to use their iPhones. Pack a nice weekend bag and go home! You earned it!

5. Whatever you feel like doing

I cannot stress that this is the most important task that you should complete after graduating. My entire college career was spent doing everything I could to get ahead and to really set myself up for success after college. I missed out on the journey, at times, because I was so focused on the end result. The day that I walked across the stage to get my diploma was the scariest, but most invigorating day of my life because for once, I could do WHATEVER I WANTED. I started listening to podcasts, paying extra for guacamole (because I worked at an actual company and had my own desk and I earned that guacamole), and just LIVING MY LIFE without boundaries. It's so incredibly important to live every day doing what you love, I can't stress that enough. As they say, if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life.