33 Pieces of Advice for College Graduates Entering the Real World
Woo-hoo! You have your degree, perhaps a job offer, a place to live with a chill roommate, and you’ve found your favorite cafe where the cold brew is just right. Life is great, right?
Even if you don’t have all of the items above checked off, starting your independent, post-school life is an exciting time, and it’s a moment to learn all sorts of adulting skills.
To help you with that, here are 33 things to consider, learn, or do to help you as you discover everything from how to speak up in meetings to how to find an in-network doctor. Read on for tips for joining the real world and finessing your finances, career, and personal life.
Key Points
• Creating a budget to track income and expenses is one of the most important things you can do as a new grad entering the workforce.
• Start saving for retirement as soon as you can. It leverages the power of compound interest, allowing even small contributions to grow significantly over time.
• Build a professional network by attending industry events, joining online groups, and connecting with alumni to open doors for career opportunities.
• Stay competitive in your field by pursuing ongoing education and certifications, which can enhance your skills and job prospects.
• If your student loan payments are too high, consider refinancing them. This could offer you lower monthly payments or a lower interest rate.
1. Tackle Your Overall Financial Situation
Your finances tend to get more complicated as you get older. At its most basic, though, understanding your financial situation means knowing your credit score, taking stock of your outstanding debts, figuring out ways to pay off student loans (if you haven’t already), and understanding what your monthly bills are.
💡 Quick Tip: Ready to refinance your student loan? You could save thousands.
2. Embrace a Budget
Here’s another bit of advice for college grads: Once you know how much money you have, owe, and make, it’s time to figure out your budget. Even if you have one already, post-graduation is a perfect time to reconsider your budget and make updates as needed. Never made one before? The popular 50/30/20 budget can be a smart start.
Recommended: Types of Budgeting Strategies and Methods
3. Learn About Job Perks
No matter if your job is still shiny and new or an old hat at this point, it’s good to take time to review your employee handbook for perks you may have overlooked. Check out your company’s retirement plan types and health insurance plans. You’ll also want to review potential bonuses and perks, such as free gym memberships, commuting stipends, and the like.
4. Start Saving for Retirement
Seriously? Yes! This may not be the most fun thing to review (and likely wasn’t part of your college advice), but your future self will thank you. Take time to learn about a 401(k) plan that may be available at work and hopefully enroll. You want to at least contribute enough to get any company match, which is like free money.
No job yet or retirement plan you qualify for? Spend a bit of time learning about the different kinds of IRAs.
5. Evaluate Your Housing Costs
Depending on your location, it can be hard to find affordable housing or even a job if your industry isn’t hot in your market. Before signing on the dotted line, consider how much home you can afford to rent. It can be expensive to live alone; having roommates can be a great way to save money.
6. Check Your Social Media
Even if you already have a job lined up, you may want to take stock of your social media. A professional online presence may help prevent current or future employers from second-guessing about hiring you. Those wild nights out with friends definitely don’t need to be broadcast via an account that’s public.
Recommended: College Graduation Rates
7. Network
Networking is crucial to helping you achieve your career goals. Whether through industry conferences or social media sites like LinkedIn, it’s smart to stay connected with professionals in your industry to get career advice and learn about job openings you may be the perfect fit for.
8. Schedule Some “You” Time
Scheduling dedicated “you” time after graduating college helps you decompress, recharge, and adjust to the new pressures of adult life. It also creates space for reflection, allowing you to set healthy routines and stay grounded as you navigate major transitions.
9. Start an Emergency Fund
Once you have a steady income, it’s wise to start an emergency fund, perhaps by a recurring automatic transfer into savings. Start slow and steady, and aim to build up to at least three to six months’ worth of living expenses in the bank. This will help protect you if you have a major expense or job loss.
Recommended: Emergency Fund Calculator
10. Find Your Medical Team
This tip is especially important if you’ve moved to a different state or city. Out-of-network bills can be costly, so having a doctor and knowing which hospitals are in-network can help you save money and stress in the long run. Ask coworkers, do online research, and don’t forget to explore where the nearest and best urgent care centers are.
11. Snag a First-Aid Kit and Emergency Bag
This may sound like your parents or grandparents talking, but no one sees an accident or disaster coming. You could get burned cooking brunch one Saturday, or a major storm could sweep through and leave you without power.
Store-bought first aid kits may be good starting points, but extra bandages, allergy relief pills, antacids, and other over-the-counter medicines will take your kit to the next level.
For an emergency go-bag, consider packing at least three days’ worth of clothes, a mini first aid kit, cash, a flashlight, and other provisions you think you (and your pets or loved ones) may need if you need to leave your home in a rush.
12. Consider Life Insurance
If your employer offers life insurance as a benefit and you’re supporting family members, it may be worth considering. Understanding life insurance policies can help you make the right decision for you. Even if you decide you don’t need it right now, you’ll be better prepared to sign up when the time is right.
💡 Quick Tip: If you have student loans with variable rates, you may want to consider refinancing to secure a fixed rate in case rates rise. But if you’re willing to take a risk to potentially save on interest — and will be able to pay off your student loans quickly — you might consider a variable rate.
13. Dive into Hobbies
It’s healthy to have interests outside of your career. If you’re wondering what to do after college besides work, you can learn to play instruments, sing, run, join a local soccer team, play games online, or enjoy any other hobby that helps you unwind and relax. Or maybe you’ll want to give back and spend some time planting at a local park or prepping meals at a soup kitchen. Find some passions and take the time to pursue them.
14. Tackle Your Taxes
If you’re employed (full-time, part-time, seasonally, side hustle, etc.), it’s time to learn how to prepare for tax season, which can help you avoid filing them late. Whenever you get an important piece of paperwork that’ll affect your taxes (such as W2s, charitable contribution receipts, or even home office receipts), you can put these in a safe place so you’re ready to go come tax time.
Then, determine if you’ll do your taxes yourself (say, with tax software) or work with an income tax preparer to get your return in on time.
15. Find Your Work-Life Balance
Each person has their own idea for work-life balance. If you’re not sure what yours is, consider taking the first few months on the job to figure that out. Being a good employee, for instance, doesn’t have to mean being the first person at the office in the morning and the last one out at night. If you feel tired or overwhelmed, it may be time to dig into and renegotiate those work-life boundaries.
16. Master Basic Home Repairs
Home repair costs can add up (especially as the years unfurl). You could save money by doing them yourself, especially if or when you own your own place and don’t have a landlord to pay for those costs. Problems such as a clogged sink, broken light switch, and dripping shower head may be easier than you think to fix.
If you do have a landlord, you might even get a discount on your rent by making simple repairs yourself. Just be sure to get a signed agreement from your landlord outlining how that will work.
17. Be Smart About Subscriptions
Monthly subscriptions add up over time, and it’s easy to forget how many you have going at a given moment. Consider looking at what you’re actually subscribed to. Do you really need Max, Hulu, Peacock, and Netflix, or could you save on streaming services by dropping one (or two)? And do you really need so many gym passes and coffee clubs? Take a closer look and see if you can cut back.
18. Learn to Cook
Takeout is great, but you could save money on food and healthy up your meals if you cook at home. It’s also helpful to plan your groceries ahead of time to avoid overspending and food waste. Plus, it’s a fun pursuit with loads of free recipes and cooking videos available online. Invite a friend over and make it a social occasion.
19. Speak Up in Meetings
If you think you don’t have much to add to the conversation, agreeing with what someone has said — and tacking on an extra thought — can be a way to participate and not feel like a wallflower.
20. Tweak Your Sleep Hygiene
Getting enough high-quality sleep can be a key contributor to your wellness. Going to sleep around the same time every night can help to ensure you get enough rest so you can make good decisions and keep healthy habits. And here’s a reminder that taking your mobile device to bed with you is likely to lead to an hour or more of rabbit holes that rob you of your rest.
21. Start Investing
The idea of investing may sound intimidating, but you don’t have to be a Wall Street wolf to invest. Many rookies start small. Learn more about investing in your 20s and perhaps open an account.
22. Find a Mentor
If there’s someone higher up the ladder at your workplace with whom you click and who offers great guidance, ask them out for coffee to learn more about how their career progressed and see what advice they might share. You can also look for guidance via a professional group; you might find a mentor at a summit or similar event.
Mentors can often help you navigate your workplace, offer advice, and keep you motivated and sane when things get stressful. They also have contacts that may be helpful for you to know.
23. Change Your Mind
Many people end up with jobs outside of what they studied, even after getting a master’s or MBA. If this turns out to be the case for you, just know that people can change their minds and that it’s okay to switch paths.
Recommended: Benefits of Returning to School
24. Get Help
Unemployment, Medicaid, and other social nets exist for a reason. There are going to be choppy waters, and these services are meant to help. Using them because you got laid off or furloughed isn’t shameful. And if you can’t find employment, that’s another reason to get support versus staying silent and toughing it out.
25. Put Home Maintenance on Your Calendar
When was the last time you cleaned your dryer vents? Do you know how to change the filter in your HVAC? Avoiding these kinds of things for too long can result in big maintenance bills — and potentially be a safety hazard. Not sure what to clean? Check out a house maintenance list and put reminders in your mobile device’s calendar.
26. Travel
Hopping on a plane and traveling to far-flung places can get more difficult as you become older. It can be harder to take time off work, and perhaps you’ll have a family, meaning you will need a bigger travel budget. Now, when you’re young and probably okay with “roughing it,” it’s possible to travel cheap!
27. Learn to Say No
An important life skill is learning how to say no. Don’t want to go out for drinks? Can’t finish that report by Monday? Your best bet may be to just be honest. Taking on too much may only backfire, so learning to say no without feeling guilty can be important for your mental health and work-life balance.
28. Avoid Lifestyle Creep
Lifestyle creep is the situation in which the more your income increases, the more you spend. While a pay raise may mean you can splurge a bit, if you wind up renting a bigger house, leasing a luxury car, and treating yourself to a week in Tulum, you could wind up in the hole. Instead, treat yourself within reason, and plow more money into savings, such as for a down payment on a future home.
Recommended: 9 Tips for Finding the Best Deals Online
29. Outfit Your Home Office
Are you going to be working from home for some or all of your week? Having ergonomic, comfortable, and functional furniture can help keep your back and neck from hurting and your mind from getting distracted. Don’t just perch on the couch or in bed with your laptop. Scan home office ideas if you’re in need of some inspiration.
30. Give Back
You’re joining the ranks of adults, so do the right thing and find a way to contribute and help others. Maybe you can spend some time on the weekend at a Habitat for Humanity site or make a charitable donation to a favorite cause.
31. Understand Student Loan Repayment Options
Understanding your student loan repayment options sets yourself up for financial stability after graduation. Consider income-driven repayment plans, which adjust your monthly payments based on your income and family size, consolidating your federal loans into a single, simplified payment, or refinancing your loans — especially if you have strong credit — to potentially secure a lower interest rate.
32. Set Career Goals and Revisit Them Annually
Setting clear career goals helps you stay focused, motivated, and intentional as you navigate life after graduation. Reviewing these goals each year allows you to adjust based on new experiences, changing interests, and evolving opportunities, ensuring your career trajectory stays aligned with who you are and where you want to go.
Recommended: Tips for Applying for Graduate School
33. Learn the Basics of Insurance (Health, Renters, Auto)
Learning the basics of insurance is an important part of stepping into financial adulthood. Understanding how health insurance works helps you choose a plan that fits both your medical needs and your budget, while renters insurance protects your belongings and provides liability coverage in case of accidents. Auto insurance ensures you’re protected financially if you’re involved in a car accident or experience vehicle damage.
The Takeaway
Your post-college years can be exciting and fun but also a bit confusing and challenging at times. Start with a few items on this list, and work your way through to build your life skills, launch your career, and manage your money confidently.
And if your student loan payments are getting in the way of you living your best post-college life, you may want to consider refinancing your student loans.
Looking to lower your monthly student loan payment? Refinancing may be one way to do it — by extending your loan term, getting a lower interest rate than what you currently have, or both. (Please note that refinancing federal loans makes them ineligible for federal forgiveness and protections. Also, lengthening your loan term may mean paying more in interest over the life of the loan.) SoFi student loan refinancing offers flexible terms that fit your budget.
FAQ
How long does it take to get a job after college on average?
It typically takes graduates three to six months to find a job after college. However, recent grads reportedly face tougher economic conditions and less employer demand, extending their search beyond six months. Networking, internships, and a well-crafted resume can help expedite the process.
What is the average salary for college graduates?
The average starting salary for college graduates holding a bachelor’s degree is $68,680 in 2025. Engineering and computer science graduates often earn higher starting salaries, while those in humanities and social sciences may start lower. Experience and location also play significant roles.
What’s the average age of a college graduate?
The average age of a college graduate is around 24 years old for those who complete their degree right after high school. However, this can vary widely depending on factors like part-time study, career breaks, and returning to education later in life. Many nontraditional students graduate in their 30s or even 40s.
What percent of college graduates go back to school?
About 14% of the population holds an advanced degree, such as a master’s degree or professional certification. This varies by field and career goals, with higher rates in fields like medicine, law, and academia. Continuing education can enhance career prospects and personal development.
What percent of college graduates use their degree?
A recent study found that more than half of college graduates are working in fields that do not require a degree. However, this can vary by field, with higher usage rates in specialized professions like engineering and health care. Factors like job market conditions and personal career choices also influence whether a degree is directly applied.
Photo credit: iStock/Rattankun Thongbun
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