This time of year, new students at colleges around the country are arriving on campus for the first time. They’re met with tons of information to help them get acquainted with their new world. Life after college doesn’t come with balloon arches or fight songs, but I hope this post can provide a few key practices and life hacks to help get you oriented.
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Table of Contents
Orientations, or a Lack Thereof, for Life After College
For the last 4 years, my family has had the unique opportunity of living on a college campus. Campus has been much quieter over the last 17 months than it usually would be. But that’s changing as we roll into the new academic year. This week, thousands of new and returning students are arriving on campus, greeted with signs and information. Where to park. How to get their room key. What dining halls are open. How to use the washing machines. What is an add/drop period?
Transitioning out of college is the opposite. You may need a few thing to make it out of the door. Finish your last set of finals. Return any outstanding library books so you can get your diploma. And……go!
The good part is that you have almost any choice available to you. The downside is that you have almost any choice available to you. What kind of job should I apply for? Should I take some time off before working (if I can afford it)? What about where to live? Who should I live with?
The vast number of choices can lead to analysis paralysis. So here are four ideas that can help you get things in order as you tackle life’s many challenges and opportunities ahead:
1. Write it down:
I have a pretty good memory, and I used to pride myself on being able to remember all of the names, dates, and details I needed. Eventually, and repeatedly, I found that my memory had its limits.
Where our memory ends, writing things down can be a superpower. Fortunately, so many great tools now exist for writing things down, and many include additional features to help you keep organized.
Journaling
Sometimes the simple act of writing something down helps us to process our thoughts and feelings. This has led to a resurgence in the popularity of journaling in recent years. Many people successfully use paper journals, diaries, or notebooks for processing. I like to write on paper when I’m brainstorming, but I prefer to use my phone for journaling. Several apps now exist for journaling, and one has been a great tool for me.
I love the Day One app, which I’ve been using for a couple of years. It has basic journaling functionality and a text search, but I can also add photos or video, tag entries with keywords, or see what I was doing on this day a year ago or two years ago.
If you’re interested in a non-digital version of that last part, something like this physical journal allows you to write 1-2 sentences a day and look back at the date 1-4 years ago.
Notetaking
Whether in a job situation, planning a large social event, or talking to a plumber about a problem in your apartment, taking notes is as critical as it likely was in class. I have cycled through a number of solutions for notetaking, particularly outside of work. For most small items, I just use the Notes app in IOS.
For larger projects, Evernote has been a great tool. Many people I know swear by Evernote for all of their note-taking needs, work or personal. One great Evernote feature is the ability to upload media or scan receipts or documents and then have those be categorized and searchable. Alternatives to Evernote include Microsoft OneNote, which has similar capabilities if you’re already working in the Microsoft 365 environment.
2. Keep track of paperwork and deadlines.
Outside of college, you may have noticed that you suddenly have all sorts of new responsibilities, and more dates to keep organized. And many of these deadlines come with consequences. Some of these are obvious. A late rent payment could come with a late fee, or worse. Others have consequences that will only become apparent down the road–like delaying health care.
Bills and other payments:
If you can, automate them, but also keep track of what’s been automated. Now, most services (e.g., Netflix) offer automated bills and payments, so you don’t have to think about when to pay. This is convenient, but subscription charges can add up and may exceed your budget if you’re not careful.
If a bill is not automated, such as a doctor’s bill that comes in the mail, create a system where you’ll either pay it right away, or you’ll otherwise make sure it gets paid on time. Perhaps it goes into a folder that you open once a week at a scheduled time to address all bills, or another system that works for you. I recommend you don’t use the “pile” method for bills, as things can quickly get lost in a stream of junk mail.
Paperwork and other deadlines:
Depending on your personal preferences, you may be able to keep all of your deadlines in order with a calendar (or calendar app) alone. My wife has a great calendar-based system that works for her.
Personally, I tried many different approaches over the years (iPhone reminders, Remember the Milk, calendar apps) until I found one that works great for me: Todoist.
I first learned about Todoist from Brad on the ChooseFI podcast, and eventually decided to give it a try. I became hooked pretty quickly. Depending on how you want to use it, Todoist can be as basic as just a simple to-do list, or even a shopping list (though I prefer AnyList for that function). But I love the ability to create projects and sub-projects, labels, and different kinds of deadlines. I can create single deadlines or recurring deadlines, such as
- “floss every day”
- “water the house plants every 7 days”
- “decide on renewal of Hulu subscription once a month”
- “pay Chase Visa bill on the 7th of the month”
I even have reminders to take the car in for an oil change every six months, or apply for a new passport 10 months before mine expires.
Todoist has been a big help for me, as has automation. I’m in a much better place when it comes to paperwork than I was at 22.
3. Take care of you
Self-care is not to be confused with “treat yourself,” although both have a time and place.
As you’re figuring out the shape of life without a course schedule, try to make sure you’re doing something to learn, something for your health, something for your financial security, and something to feed your brain.
Health:
If your job offers health insurance, take some time to look at the options and sign up for one. In most cases, employer-provided health insurance would be a better deal than buying on your own, because the employer pays part of the premium cost. If your employer doesn’t offer insurance, you can check out your options on the Healthcare.gov exchanges.
If you have health insurance, don’t be afraid to use it. Find a primary care provider in your area (check your insurance first to see who’s covered) or sign up for a concierge-based medical service like OneMedical. Once you have an established provider, it’s much easier to find
While you’re at it, find a dentist and make your first annual appointment. After graduation, I went several years brushing my teeth, but not visiting a dentist. Questionable, right?
There were many reasons for this happened–I had always intended to find a dentist but it never made it to the top of a to-do list. I didn’t have dental insurance and I didn’t know my health insurance covered dental checkups. And I thought regular brushing and flossing was good enough. Several cavities and over $1,000 later, lesson learned. In the last decade-plus, I’ve been a regular dentist visitor (and excellent flosser)…I just wish I’d focused on it in my early 20s.
Related: 4 Ways to Build Better Habits for Life
Finances:
If you’re starting a new job, make sure to start saving for retirement–time is your friend when it comes to compound interest. Check out the other benefits that your job offers–from life insurance to gym discounts or transit benefits–and take advantage of the ones that can help set you up for future success. Check out my list of some great personal finance resources and dive in!
Learning:
Many recent graduates, a year or two out of school, tell me they’re concerned about no longer growing intellectually–a big change after 17 years of education. While you’ll do some kinds of learning in your job, it’s good to think about ways to grow your brain and your interests outside of the office.
- Take a class on a new subject or hobby, maybe through your local library.
- Join a book club (physical or virtual).
- Watch a bunch of TED Talks.
The list of possibilities is endless, but only if you start looking.
4. Put one foot in front of the other
Post-college life is a marathon, not a sprint. Seriously, you have a long journey ahead, and you don’t have to fingure out a 10-year plan (or even a 5-year plan) right now. Make some decisions in your career, your home life, your friendships, that will set you up for future options and security, and you’ll be in good shape. And remember, mistakes and setbacks are part of the journey–the most important part is getting back up and at it.
Most days won’t be perfect, but if you pick your head up every once in a while and look at where you came from and where you are, you may be surprised at just how far you’ve come.
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Tony Mazurkiewicz
August 23, 2021This is a great resource, Jacques! Thanks for sharing it.