I’m graduating in two weeks. I’m about to submit one of the very last assignments of my university career. I’m almost 23 and I feel like I have been at UNC forever. I’ll be working in a full-time career starting in the fall. I’ll be honest… I feel so damn old already. Part of me wishes I could press a button and go back to being a senior in high school. I’d love to sit and take the SAT and do easy algebra and reading comprehension. I’d love to take some BS freshman classes on anthropology or literature and go rush a fraternity or do a bunch of activities. It’s all over now. It’s gonna be 60 hours a week in a professional career.
My advice is to avoid 60 hour a week jobs. It isn’t worth it. Have a life.
Congrats on graduating soon and having a job! Transitioning from college to the “real world” is not always easy- you are not alone in your feelings, trust me. Remember to keep in touch with your friends and make time to do the things that you have always enjoyed doing. Congratulations- although this will be different, remember that it’s a very exciting time.
Twenty-two almost twenty-three is not old. You shall see. Congratulations on your upcoming graduation and job. Adulthood is not so bad. You shall see.
Yes, it is common when starting out to have to put in more hours but hopefully you will be able to achieve a satisfying work/home life balance. It really helps to be working at something you actually enjoy.
Start planning now for when you pull the parachute and jump out of the 60-hour a week airplane. Almost everyone else does. A friend of mine just got laid off after 25+ years with the same company. So you leave that racket one way or the other either when you want to get out or when you have had enough raises that they decide it is cheaper to replace you and walk you out with everything at your desk in cardboard boxes.
Get references for every place you work in writing.
Don’t burn bridges unless you absolutely have too.
Fight back against office politics which they do not teach you in school.
Avoid debt and save and invest.
Learn to cook
LIve within your means
Create a life outside work (volunteer, church, running, something!)
don’t confuse coworkers for friends
be humble
and call your family.
There are a lot of parents reading this wishing they could take the whole summer off before going back to work. 
If you wish you could go back to the carefree life of being a student, well, that’s what graduate school is for. (They don’t call 'em “gradual students” for nothing.) But if you’re tired of eating ramen and staying up all night to cram for exams, enjoy your new career.
go to the gym regularly (or take classes or do yoga - whatever you enjoy)
create a budget - live within it
be a professional on the job - be on time, be polite, make your emails short and to the point and grammatically correct , dress properly (whatever that is for your office), don’t get drunk at office functions
Max your 401 (k) contribution - carefully choose your insurance plans (don’t live without medical and dental) - take advantage of other benefits (cheap tickets, travel discounts, etc.)
Take vacation every year (real vacation not just go home and visit your parents) - even if it is just a weekend away
Ask questions - learn everything you can - network - meet as many people from your office as you can
Ask your parents for work advice - they have been there done that - they will know how to deal with co-workers and bosses
If you are truly unhappy - find another job (but don’t quit this one until you have it) - keep your resume and Linkedin up to date all the time
I have a friend who used to say that college graduation was the saddest day - the start of the rest of your life with nothing but work ahead of you. Today, people change jobs and careers frequently and hopefully the rest of your life will be interesting and fun.
Be a good co-worker, stay busy, do more than the minimum, and be helpful to others, and things will work out with your career. Save your money early because it only gets harder to save money later.
And realize the most important decision you can make is who you marry/partner with. If you can get that right, then everything in life becomes much easier.
if I could have a redo… I would probably have to go back to 3rd grade to start
to fix the should of would of could of.
that said water under the bridge is just that no changing it. some good advice was already given here. I would add be humble at your first job. it will be better for you and the people working with you. nobody likes a newly minted arrogant know it all college grad,
As much as possible, avoid office gossip and “palace intrigue.” It’s a soul-sucker.
Even if you’re working 60 hours a week, that still leaves a lot of time. Make sure you keep up with your friends and family, take time for fun, find an exercise routine you like and is fun. Travel!
It is hard to get used to the five (or sometimes 6) day a week grind of working. The good part is no homework, a paycheck, and hopefully doing something fulfilling.
Congrats and all the best!
plastics
Learn to live healthy and avoid doing things that can impact your quality of life. Don’t get into the 'beating the Joneses" mindset of materialism. Find out what you truly enjoy doing and pursue it. Enjoy life!
Success is more attitude than aptitude. Best of luck in all that you do and Congratulations on your graduation!
During the summer before you start your new job, really think about what you want to have in your life outside of work. Take the time to actively plan how that will fit in to your schedule. It’s easy to fall into habits and just hang out at home watching tv or whatever after a long day at work. Be proactive about looking at what outside activities you might want to be involved in, fitness, volunteering, music, where ever your interests lie and look at what opportunities are available where you will be living and try to get involved early on. Good luck!
Good thoughts here. My real world advice: save enough, have fun in your life. Try new things, now that you’re away from the limits of school.
In your job, try to add responsibilities or experiences, so when you go for the next, you have better than the same old job description. It can be small- a project, you’re the one who draws up the first draft of that report, interfacing with another dept, whatever.
Get an accordian file folder or a file folder box and some manila folders. Keep important papers in there, paystubs, W2s, tax forms, insurance info, bills. So when you need to look up something, you can find it.
When you open a new bank account in the city where your job is, get a safe deposit box and keep important documents in it (passport, soc sec card, birth certificate, car title, etc).
Agree – live on less that you earn. Begin investing in your 401(k) retirement plan as soon as you can. enjoy summer. That was the hardest for me – no more long summer breaks, unless you are a teacher.