As much as I appreciate what I’ve been able to learn through a standardized education, there’s many crucial components of real world living that are largely absent from a typical curriculum. I find it somewhat ironic how learning physics and mathematics at a high level can look great on a resume, but that knowledge doesn’t provide much assistance for getting through an average day. So after you’ve gotten book smart (or better, before), it’s time to bring those street smarts up to par. Here’s a few key interest areas that I focused on when I had to start living life without a syllabus.
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Finance
Assuming you’ve got a job of some type, figuring out what to do with that paycheck is important. If you spend 100% or more of what you earn, the question “when can I retire?” might be difficult to answer. Besides saving and investing, there’s also the doom-and-gloom feeling of tax season. Depending on your circumstances, this bothersome hurdle can turn into a nice miniature payday. Lastly, the question of whether you want to rent or buy real estate is one you might come across. I recommend you do your research for your specific needs, since there’s no easy answer and some analysis can lead to surprises.
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Nutrition/cooking
It’s no secret that proper nutrition ranks low among student priorities when there are essays, problem sets, and test practice questions to complete (WHY are the due dates ALWAYS during the same week?!). My tipping point was when I had an instant ramen dinner at 3 AM. That night I vowed I would improve my eating (and sleeping) habits post-graduation. Like with finance, there’s no singular correct answer in the back of the text book, but I’ve found many resources pointing out the benefits of a whole foods plant based diet. Do your own research, experiment a bit, consider your lifestyle (eg. the amount of exercise you do), and find what works for you.
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Social/Workplace “politics”
Your first job could be any variety of roles, but odds are you’ll face at least a slightly different environment than you were used to in school depending on your coworker’s demographics. I don’t know if “politics” is the right work, but figuring out who to contact when, how different groups/departments work together, and dealing with work-life balance are some key findings of mine. Going from an environment where nearly everyone is in the same boat (student life) to one that’s very open-ended (post-grad life) can take some time getting used to.
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Motivation and Self-drive
In work-life balance, the “life” portion is fully up to you to decide. There’s no syllabus, no tests, and no deadlines once you’re done with the workday. So what are you using that time for? Netflix marathons? Reading? Solving the world’s biggest problems? It’s fully your choice and no one is guiding you (unless you set that up on your own). Getting what you want out of this time will be another chance for you to learn about yourself and what you really value. Surprise, there’s no easy answer here either, so good luck!
Weekly Extreme Exception
One sudden realization I had post-graduation is that there’s only one person setting the agenda for you to complete any bucket list items you have, and that’s you. Given that “learning language X” is a common wish I’ve heard, coupled with the common (mis)conception that language learning is hard, the following video was pretty impressive. You might not need to speak upwards of 10 languages, but the fact that people learn that many as an adult should provide some confidence that it’s doable to learn one new language.
