It’s been about 11 months since I graduated college…and let me tell you…life is so much different!

Let me explain!

In college you goto class 16 hours a week and depending on your major; you’re doing homework and studying 20-40 hours a week. You’re schedule is probably the most flexible it has ever been your entire life! I would consider myself a pretty average student however I reminisce on some college days where I went up to the Red hills of mariposa on a Thursday and the windy beaches of Santa Cruz on a Friday. I hiked Yosemite trails on a Wednesday and hosted movie nights on Mondays. But with those exciting moments of spontaneous Disneyland trips and spending a week intertwining my faith with immigration and poverty in Reno, Nevada, I’ve also had the most stressful years of my life.

What came with all of the excitement had been financial, spiritual emotional and mental problems that would stack on top of each other. I remember a stressful moment during my second semester of my freshmen year. The previous semester I had been placed on academic probation for reasons that i would take blame for. I was writing a 8 page paper for a class 99% of UCMerced would consider absolutely and utterly useless. I hadn’t slept for 60 hours due to the a final the day before and a writing final for a different class the day before that. I remember tears rolling down my cheeks as I typed sentence after sentence only to delete it because it didn’t make any sense(fatigue will do that to ya). I also had many club responsibilities that I had to put off only adding more stress knowing I was letting more people down. I had many more stressful events through college such as the death of my father my freshmen year, and nearly failing a crucial class my junior year because I was working two part time jobs at one point. The minute I was handed my diploma and began training for my new position in marketing and operations a few weeks after graduation, life completely shifted. Here’s what changed:

1. Vacation isn’t as long as when your in college

With most colleges, you will get a winter break that’s 2-4 weeks, a spring break that’s 1 week and a summer break that can be up to 3 months. In most jobs that require an undergraduate degree, you’re probably looking at 1 week to up to a month of vacation time. That’s if they offer it up at all!

2. Your schedule is most likely fixed

You’ll have the same schedule every week, probably a 9-5. In reality you’ll probably wake up either 7 or 8 to get ready and get home halfway past 5 or 6 dedicating and planning almost half of your day around your job. You’ll love Fridays and maybe dread Monday’s. You may be doing little going out on weekdays because you’ll be too exhausted.

3. … or it might even be worse

For some of you, you may need to deal with sporadic schedules where you have to head into work at 1 o clock in the morning because your oncall for the week. You may even be in a job where the 40 hour work week is a dream and you’re riddled with overtime. Let’s hope if that’s your situation that your hourly and not salary.

4. You might eat out a lot more

When your spending almost 10 to 11 hours working and getting ready for work, it doesn’t leave a whole lot of time to make something to eat. It might be easier to just grad a quick subway or mcdonalds during your break. Hey.. your making money now right?

5. … or you might eat out a lot less

You might be used to making your own meal plan. Working full time might actually help you get a more stable schedule to meal prep every night or morning.

6. You may have a lot more time to spend with friends or family

Now that you aren’t studying endlessly for midterms(that seem to start at the third week and continue without ceasing until the semesters over) anymore, you might fill that void with friends and family. You are now free to catch a movie after work on a Thursday with the fam or chug a couple beers with the bros on a taco Tuesday. Your freedom is back.

7. …or a lot less time to spend with family

For those who are less fortunate to land a job that sometimes likes to send work home with you, like myself, you may find yourself without free time at home. You’ll probably spend your free time finishing a project or preparing a presentation.

8. You’re in control of your own destiny

Ultimately, you control the reigns for your life now. You can decide to travel, invest in your hobby, start a business, find love, try to find a high paying job to make money, or better yet, a job that gives you meaning and purpose. No matter what you do, don’t forget…

You have to pay those student loans back.