Preparing Yourself for After College

During college professors help students obtain their degrees and figure out what they want for their future career. Students also develop better skills, which would be helpful for them to obtain a job. On the other hand, there are a good amount of things professors or people don’t discuss with students transitioning from college to the real world. Some big topics not discussed include, the balance of work life and personal life, creating personal goals for yourself and career, and financials. It is very important for students to have some knowledge on these particular topics to help prepare them for their future. Here are some tips, advice, and/or information on these important topics.

How to balance personal life and career

A work-life balance is something that’s discussed frequently in a lot of mental-health spheres. So why is it so important? One of the biggest criticisms of the modern workplace is a lack of balance between work and personal life. It may be true that the current work culture in the United States is a bit limiting in that way, but there’s still things that can be done to make finding a balance between work and your personal life possible. This is an important goal to strive towards, because if all you can focus on is your career, it can impact your self image and relationships with others. There may be obstacles along the way, like time management, finding the right job that fits both you and your life, and combating stress, but if you can figure out the balancing act it can make your life much more fulfilling and enjoyable as a whole.

Time Management Strategies

1. Techniques in Prioritization

• One of the easiest ways to get off track when it comes to work is prioritization. Without a good system in place, it’s easy to forget about doing the work and just sit there and do anything else, with panic increasing in the back of one's mind. This is sometimes called Task Paralysis. One of the tried and true methods of prioritization is just writing out all the tasks at hand, and then deciding how important each of them are, and then writing them down again by order of importance. Just like that, the pile of things that need to be done has turned from a mess living inside the brain to an easy to follow checklist.

2. Methods for Time Blocking

• Time blocking can be an incredibly daunting task, but done correctly it is the next step in prioritization after creating a list of things one needs to do and how important each thing is. Time blocking, to put it simply, is scheduling out time in your day for each task that needs to be accomplished. This can take trial and error, especially if there’s a lot of unfamiliar tasks being thrown around, but it is essential. Time blocking can be as simple or complex as it needs to be, but if someone is new to it, it’s okay to start small. It can be incredibly helpful to set up either a planner or a digital calendar. This helps visualize the timeblocks. Give yourself clear deadlines, allow yourself to have short breaks, and never multitask. Contrary to popular belief, nobody is actually any good at multitasking, and if they say they are, they’re probably a liar. The last piece of advice on time blocking is to allow yourself to be flexible. Things will change, sometimes tasks will take longer than you expect. Regardless of the reason, it’s important to be okay with it and roll with the punches, adjusting as one goes.

3. The Pomodoro Technique

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNBmG24djoY

• Above is a video about The Pomodoro Technique, this is a way to take advantage of our brain's attention spans by working for a short burst, taking a small break, and then repeating. Someone who suffers from ADHD may not do well with the pomodoro technique, as it is hard to simply take a 5 minute break. Look into different methods of getting work done, try as many as you need to, but find one that works and stick to it.

Setting Boundaries

1. How to create boundaries/Effective communication of boundaries

• Creating boundaries is an essential facet of life. It can feel selfish, but it’s important to remember that selfish isn’t always a bad word. Whether you need to set a boundary at your workplace or in your own life, approaching it confidently but with kindness is important. Nobody wants to feel disrespected, and that’s the tough part about setting boundaries, because it’s often when we have to tell people “No”. To set a boundary, remember to offer a brief explanation as to why a boundary is being set, be sure not to talk downward at anyone at any time, and be willing to listen to the other person's perspective.

2. How to handle work intruding on personal time

• What does creating boundaries have to do with achieving a solid work-life balance? More than you’d think. A disclaimer must be made for this segment: If one feels like they cannot set a boundary in their workplace in fear that they will get fired, they are experiencing a toxic work environment. It’s important to get out of a situation like this as soon as possible, but be sure to have another job lined up, or a way to fund/take care of oneself before jumping ship. Setting boundaries between work and personal life should be easy, and not something somebody has to be afraid to do. Gauge your own safety to be able to do this before acting.

Making Work Arrangements Flexible

1. Work options that are flexible

• There are jobs that allow for a good work-life balance, and jobs that haven’t caught up yet. It also just depends on the person and what they need. Some people thrive doing graveyard shifts. I haven’t met any yet, but I’m sure they’re out there. The point is to remember that being selfish is not a bad thing, especially with something as important and life altering as a career. There’s a lot of ways to find a career that is both enjoyable, fulfilling, and flexible. Examples include doing freelance work, working remotely, owning your own business, or real estate. Be wary of companies that say they allow a person to “Be their own boss” as those can often be pyramid/multi-level-marketing schemes. It’s not worth the pink cadillac.

2. Benefits and drawbacks of working remotely

• Remote work is one of the best options when it comes to making your own schedule. Remote work is when you work from home, or a coffee shop, or in a ditch somewhere. It doesn’t matter where, as long as you have a wifi connection remote work is a possibility. Deciding where you physically want to work is one of the benefits of doing remote work. Some examples of remote work include software development, Digital Marketing, Content writing/editing, and customer support jobs. They are famously also very good options for people looking to have a job that can be flexible from a scheduling perspective. The drawbacks can include isolation. As an adult, it’s difficult to make friends, and having a job surrounded by people is often one of the main ways adults maintain a social life. Without this, one might have to resort to drastic measures like playing pickleball or going to church more than once a week.

3. Negotiating your schedule

• If remote work just isn’t in the cards, there’s also the subtle art of negotiation. Like what was said previously in regards to setting boundaries, it is important to do this with respect, not only for the people in positions above you but also for oneself. Know your worth, and be honest about the time that you need to have off in order to have a personal life and time for yourself. If you want a job that works perfectly for your schedule, you need to be prepared to hold out. You may have a period of several years working part time to get by until you find your dream career and schedule, and that’s okay. A career really isn’t something worth compromising for, because hopefully it’ll be something you can do for the rest of your life. When negotiating a schedule, it is yet again important to treat the situation with kindness, confidence, and understanding.

Techniques for Stress Management

1. Using meditation for stress relief

• Meditation feels silly, because it’s one of those things that feels like it definitely should not work, but unfortunately it really does. Whether you want to use guided meditation, journaling, or hypnotherapy, it is truly an essential element to maintaining good mental health through stressful situations. A great method to use is the Tabs method. Tabs meditation is where you pretend your brain is an internet browser, and you see all your thoughts as open tabs. The next step is to go through those tabs and acknowledge them, write down anything important about them, acknowledge them, and then close them out. Repeat until no tabs are open. This isn’t a real method but it is something that I made up. I genuinely do it all the time and it works for me.

2. The benefits of exercise on mental health

• Do not discount the effects of physical activity towards building positive mental health just because it’s difficult and unenjoyable. It reduces stress, increases confidence and self esteem, improves sleep quality, regulates mood, and increases cognitive function. By the time you get all these benefits, you probably won’t even hate doing it anymore because you associate it with the positive feelings. Going to the gym is also a good social outlet. If starting at a gym is intimidating, there’s entry-level gyms that aren’t aimed at serious gym-goers. Even if that’s not your speed, a simple short jog every morning can give you most of the benefits listed above.

3. Why sleep is so important

• Sleep is one of the main keys to having good mental health that is often neglected the most. It’s what recharges us for the day ahead, and if your sleep quality is bad, your life quality will likely follow. Be sure you’re allowing enough time for sleep, 7 hours minimum, 10 hours maximum. Too much sleep can also be a bad thing. Screen time right before bed can also reduce sleep quality. Even the position you sleep in can impact this as well. Sleeping on your side is generally proven to be the most healthy, followed by sleeping on your back, and then sleeping on your stomach gets dead last. If you snore a lot, consider getting a sleep study done to see if you suffer from sleep apnea.

Support Systems and Family

1. Building a support system

• Once college is over it can seem like your social life is absolutely falling apart. All your friends moved away to go to other places and now you’re on your own in a new place and it can feel lonely and isolating. How do we prevent this? There’s several different ways. If you’re religious you can join a local church/temple/mosque etc, if you like fitness you can get a membership at your local gym. Wherever your interests lie, don’t be afraid to get involved. Another way to combat this is to find work where you already have connections, friends, and family.

2. Balancing work, family, and friends.

• If you want to have a social life outside of work, it’s important that your friends and family know when you are working. A convenient way to do this is to have conversations or share your calendar with them, if you use a digital calendar like Google Calendar. This is also a two way street: If you want to maintain relationships with people you also have to find out what their schedule is and actively keep up with them. This may sound like a lot of work but it is rewarding to be able to maintain friendships that you view as worthwhile.

How to set short-term and long-term career goals

Keeping a balance between work and personal life is very important for your wellbeing. However, when it comes to your career, it is important to set goals for yourself. Setting short-term and long-term career goals can be one of the most challenging and demanding tasks following graduation and the transition into one's future career. Many college graduates find themselves without jobs or clear prospects after the initial celebration fades. In college, students are introduced to the concept of SMART goals, emphasizing their significance in building a successful career, be it in business or any field. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, serving as a valuable framework for goal setting in both short-term and long-term scenarios.

Some ways students apply SMART goals is through their academic journey, effectively planning assignments and exams, ultimately reducing stress by avoiding last-minute rushes. As their college journey nears its end, the focus now shifts towards employing SMART goals to establish both short-term and long-term career objectives.

Short-term career goals revolve around everyday tasks, like enhancing job-related skills or improving time management. Achieving these smaller goals boosts motivation and work-life balance, creating a sense of accomplishment and maintaining focus. Short-term goals often serve as stepping stones toward accomplishing broader, long-term career goals.

Long-term career goals may encompass significant achievements such as mastering public speaking, obtaining advanced degrees, achieving a work-life balance, launching a business, or planning for retirement. These goals require sustained effort over months or years. To tackle such ambitions effectively, the speaker advises breaking them down into manageable short-term goals, which can be addressed incrementally. For instance, saving more money regularly can contribute to early retirement, while dedicating time each day to studying can pave the way to earning a master's degree.

In summary, the process of setting and achieving career goals involves a combination of short-term and long-term objectives, with the former often acting as building blocks for the latter. These goals, whether small or grand, are essential for navigating the career path successfully, even though challenges and setbacks may arise. Consistently setting, working towards, and achieving these goals is key to career success and personal growth.

Advice to financially think after college​​

When thinking about your goals, it is important to consider your financial situation at the current moment. Many senior students are wondering the same thing. “What the hell am I going to do after college” For many of us the years have passed by so fast, and pretty soon we will be living basically on our own, no more waking up to go to school (for most of us who aren’t going to get our master’s degrees) no more late-night hangouts, soon it will be about creating more of a schedule. Then most of us will start to earn more money than what we regularly did, and that’s exciting, having your own money, not asking mom or dad for some change. There are things we need to think about financially in preparing ourselves for a big change that’s about to happen. On this page we will start thinking about budgeting, earnings, taking care of student loans, and better understand taxes and investments.

Budgeting and financial planning

To start with, Budgeting is going to play a major role in how we live essentially, not knowing how to budget can have some serious harm on you and your loved ones and that’s not a road anyone wants to go through but not being prepared could lead to terrible things. Now I’m not saying save every penny or live very cautiously, but we need to know how to set aside a certain amount. Firstly, starting off by setting clear financial goals is the best way to start when thinking about budgeting,

- When setting goals, we need to think about paying off any debt that we have which can include Loans, such as school loans, car loans, a mortgage, etc., retirement, and how spending will look after having a family. These are things we should think about as we set our goals.

- Then start determining all sources of income you can attract for yourself and see how you can separate your income from your expenses.

- Follow through with your plan, this is basically the most important part of the plan because without execution the progress cannot continue.

How to Deal Loans

Budgeting and planning can easily be accomplished, but without the discipline of the plan, it will not work. It can be difficult to try something new especially when trying something new and being a part of a new environment.

With loans being the next topic, it's time to touch on loans a little bit more. With loans, it is important to make sure we can get them paid on time with a small loan rate. That’s the ideal loan everyone would like to get but unfortunately, we all don’t get that, so it is important to get those loans with high interest rates out of the way first. The reason is that the loans with high interest will cost you more to pay off than they need to be. Making extra payments is very important because it can decrease the payments faster.

The Significance of Early Investments

After college, many graduates are burdened with student loans and are focused on immediate financial needs. However, the power of compound interest makes investing early paramount. Compound interest allows your initial investment to grow over time, earning interest on both the principal and previously earned interest. The sooner you start investing, the more time your money must compound, potentially resulting in substantial wealth in the long run.

Investment Options

1. Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans: Many employers offer retirement plans, such as 401(k)s. These plans often come with employer contributions and tax advantages. Take full advantage of these plans by contributing enough to receive the maximum employer match.

2. Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs): IRAs, like Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs, offer tax benefits for retirement savings. Traditional IRAs provide tax-deferred growth, while Roth IRAs offer tax-free withdrawals in retirement.

3. Stock Market: Investing in individual stocks or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can be a viable way to build wealth. Consider researching and investing in companies or sectors that align with your financial goals and risk tolerance.

4. Real Estate: Real estate investment, either through direct property ownership or Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), can provide both rental income and potential property appreciation.

5. Savings and Money Market Accounts: While not high-return options, savings accounts and money market accounts provide safety and liquidity for your emergency fund and short-term goals.

After graduating college, it is important to start thinking about your financial goals, career goals, and ways to balance your work and personal life. In order to successfully reach your ultimate goals, whether that’s traveling, having a family, buying an apartment or home, creating SMART goals, being flexible with your time, setting boundaries, etc. Preparing yourself for your future will leave you with one less thing to worry about. Start thinking about these things today for a better tomorrow.