Advice for Students stepping into the Real World

Being outside of school means you are free from a lot of the weird drama that comes with doing everything in a closed system with roughly the same people. There is still drama, but you can almost always escape it because your life is divided now. You don't live with all your friends and work with them.

Here are some things to keep in mind when stepping into the real work:

• No job is going to last forever. Try to switch jobs between 3-5 years, and never take a raise based on the fact that they know you're looking elsewhere. The only exception is if you really like where you're at. You don't want to get complacent by staying at one place and not getting experience in multiple sectors of your industry.
• Family and friends will try to give their input on what you should do with your life. Don't take it. March to your drum. Do what your gut tells you, and don't compromise on your values.
• Regardless of what you may have been told, you don't have to get along with everyone. Whether it's pheromones, or something else unspoken, some people just don't get along, and there's no reason for it.
• Be punctual, like 15 minutes early punctual.
• If your boss says to stay late, only stay late if you want to, and if you're getting paid for it.
• Salary isn't always better than hourly.
• Freelance isn't evil anymore. It's 2020, and not 1950.
• Don't listen to people who tell you to walk into a job to apply.
• "Dating" is ok. Going on dates with multiple people isn't a shameful thing, because you're not compromising on what you want, and figuring out what you do want.
• If you have a backpack or briefcase, carry a travel hygiene kit with you. The world will thank you.
• Get regular haircuts and take care of your skin. If you're a dude, and people tell you to stop taking care of their skin, tell them that they can worry about their own body.
• Go to them gym once a week minimum.
• Everyone makes mistakes. There is no real point in constantly trying to avoid novel mistakes. Instead, accept that you are human, and instead make sure to learn from you mistakes when they happen.
• Eat healthy now in order to create good practices later. You'll likely encounter pressure from people to eat a lot more than your body needs while you're out at a restaurant. Control your portions and you can enjoy tasty foods.
• Save your money, but put some aside for fun experiences
• Work harder than everyone else

It's ok to not have everything figured out. You'll meet a ton of people in the "real world" that will try to convince you that they have everything figured out. The majority of them are just as scared and lost as you are, because that's the human condition.