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Erin graduated from college in May 2008 and was surprised at the lack of resources for college students about what the transition into the "real world" is really like. In an effort to share her experience as a recent college graduate and create a resource for college students and recent grads, she created College Grad Lessons.

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Friday Nights: College vs. The Real Word

As a college student, Friday nights meant temporary freedom. I survived classes, student government meetings, working, etc. by looking forward to the end of the week. Whether is was a silly theme party or just watching a movie with close friends, there was one guarantee. I would be going to sleep sometime after 1 a.m. (if not after 3 a.m.). Of course, I also slept in and only woke up in time to catch the end of brunch in the dining hall.

As an “adult” with a job, my day-to-day routine is less stressful than it was in college, but I’m completely exhausted by Friday at 5 p.m. In fact, I usually go to sleep by midnight after going out to eat and hanging out with the housemates. The days of going out multiple nights in a row are certainly over for me. One or two nights are plenty.

Honestly, I’m a bit depressed about it. I’m only 21! It turns out that a college grad weekend just isn’t the same as a college student weekend.

How has your typical weekend changed since graduating from college? If you’re in college, what do you hope your typical weekend is like after college?

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 21st, 2009 at 1:14 pm and is filed under Life. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

2 Responses to “Friday Nights: College vs. The Real Word”

  1. Reggie Greene / The Logistician Says:
    February 21st, 2009 at 8:53 pm

    Erin:

    I am long past grad school; however, I will share this with you. Try to figure out what your mission is in life. Do something that you enjoy. Find a pursuit that makes you feel valued. Stress can be a positive motivating force in your life, provided that you feel that you are pursuing positive goals. Lots of my contemporaries burned out after 20 years, and needed to find a new purpose to keep going. It’s helpful to know that ahead of time and to prepare for it.

    That’s part of the mission of our team; to inform those of you in college and grad schools about the issues which will undoubtedly arise down the road, so that you folks do not make the same mistakes that our Baby Boomer Generation made.

  2. Erin Says:
    February 22nd, 2009 at 4:47 pm

    Thanks for the thoughts Reggie! Recent college graduates definitely need to focus on their goals in life (professional, personal, family and more) and think about that when finding a healthy balance for their time. It’s challenging though, when many twenty-somethings go out multiple nights a week while trying to accomplish so many goals at the same time. I want to have fun, but am still finding the balance that will work in the long-run without burning out.