The 5 Things I Learned in my First Month of Adulting

- Lauren Gill
Adulting

So I’ve officially been adulting at my “real-world” job for over a month now. That actually seems so crazy to me! Now that everything is almost finished in our apartment and that tricky furniture is built, I can say that I’m pretty much settled in. I’ll be honest though, that long weekend for The 4th of July was amazing! I got to actually use my pool at home for a few days 🙂 Since pools are tough to come by in the city, I definitely appreciated this more than ever.

Going from post-grad life to my first real job has been a bit of a tough transition for me. Especially while seeing all of my college friends’ Snapchats from traveling the world or laying on the beach. Now that the first month is over, I’m definitely getting more used to this new normal life. As you might’ve read before, I interned in NYC for the past two summers. So I could technically say I was an “NYC Resident” for 6 months. Thinking in those terms I basically thought I was a pro and would have no problem adjusting to post-grad life…I was a bit wrong.

It’s not that I had a huge shock when I started working, seeing as I had worked 9-5 jobs before. But, I guess I just wasn’t used to being busy for so many hours of the day after taking a very light course load my last semester (ha). Some rearranging had to be done so I could have time to keep up with everything blogging related.  Not to mention making dinner and working out in those few short hours before I went to bed. I’ve definitely started prioritizing my to-do lists more often and appreciating the relaxing weekends more.

adulting

Anyway, here are 5 things I’ve learned from my first month of working in the real world.
  1. There isn’t much hand-holding: As an intern, we were always having meetings with our supervisors and given projects with specific instructions. Not so much anymore. I was thrown into my job full-force and expected to be ready to go.
  2. Meetings take up valuable work time: I used to get excited when I would see meetings pop up on my calendar, but now I realize why everyone else dreaded them. These meetings take up time that you need to actually get your work done.
  3. Trying to make plans following a work day is a struggle: I included this for two reasons. First, I never really know what time I’ll be leaving the office, which can be hard to deal with for my type-A self. Second, honestly all I want to do at the end of the day is put on comfy clothes and lay on the couch. Anyone else with me? 🙂
  4. Making a salary feels really good: Well, I’ll admit that the media industry isn’t known for it’s high-paying jobs. But it does feel good to know that I’m actually earning money at work everyday.
  5. The first few years are the most important: Although your first job might not be your “forever” job, these entry-level years are super important to establish connections and a strong work ethic at the office. As much as I’d like to leave the office at 5 every day, I know that I should work my booty off and it’ll pay off in the future.

 

Do you have any advice for recent college grads entering the workforce? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

 

Xx,

Lauren

25 thoughts on “The 5 Things I Learned in my First Month of Adulting”

  2. Ah! This is all so true. I recently just entered the “adulting” world and know how you feel. I can NEVER make plans on the weekdays because I’m either 1) too tired or 2) still at work. I also love making salary and luckily I still have blog income so it makes me feel like I have a little money (until I have to pay my NYC rent). It’s also just exhausting working! I’m used to school but work is a whole different entity!

    Hope you’re doing well and surviving!
    xx
    Lauren

  12. I’m still in college so I’m a few years away from this but I’m already excited (and nervous)! Thanks for sharing your thoughts – I 100% feel you on #3, especially during the summer when I work as a camp counselor! All I want to do when I get home is take a nap!

    xoxo, Cecilia // sunnysidececilia.com

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