30 Things We’ve Learned Since Graduating College

So this post started on Twitter.  I sent out a tweet asking what people had learned since college and got a HUGE immediate response.  Check out my Twitter followers’ responses and a few of mine are thrown in (mine are without quotes.) 

What have you learned since graduating college?

1. “If you’re not part of the problem, and not part of the solution, it’s just gossip! That’s something I’ve learned since college.”

2. “I’ve learned that drinking yourself stupid every night isn’t the greatest thing in life.”

3. “Since graduating, I’ve learned that the weekends do NOT start on Thursday night.”

4. “Learn to handle stress & handle other people’s stress. Stay calm. Have professional persona even in crazy times.”

5. “Patience. ”

6. “Listen more than you talk.”

7. “You will always work with a difficult person/people. The key is not trying to avoid them but learning how to work with them.”

8. Don’t overbook yourself inside or outside of work. It will make you look flaky and unreliable when you start dropping the ball.

9. Set boundaries and be careful what you let into your personal life. Bad friendships and relationships can lead to unproductive and unreliable performance at work.

10. “I’ve learned the hard way that having roommates after college is way different than when you were in college.”

11. “You will always encounter unexpected medical or car expenses when it is the worst possible time for you.”

12. “I never knew bar tabs could be SO expensive…”

13. “It’s true: your married and much older boss is having an affair with your 22 year old co-worker.”

14. Your parents won’t always approve of everything you are doing.

15. Maybe you should’ve listened to your parents…

16. “Life moves really fast after graduation. Your habits and thoughts become your reality- choose wisely because you’ll be 30 before you know it.”

17. Only you can change your situation. Don’t blame others.

18. “Eating lunch out every day is bad for the waistline and the pocket book.”

19. “You must be flexible and adaptable when looking for salaried jobs within your profession because the perfect job most likely won’t be your first job; you’ve got to think of it as a first step towards your ending goal!”

20. Don’t mess with monster.com or careerbuilder.com if you are serious about landing a great job.

21. “Life is expensive!”

22. “Dressing for success and for personal style doesn’t always go together and sometimes it sucks!”

23. “The best thing I have ever been told was to be a good person, then be good at your job second. Being a genuine, hard working person with a good reputation will open so many doors and make a lasting impression on everyone you encounter. ”

24. “You never thought credit card debt would happen to you? Think again.”

25. “Respond to all client emails within a half day if possible, 24 hours at the longest. Personal emails can wait otherwise they suck the time out of your day.”

26. There’s a good chance you won’t end up doing what you majored in.

27. You are very VERY lucky if you end up loving your 1st job.

28. “Never stop learning, reading and meeting people otherwise life gets really boring.”

29. “Be careful what you wish for: the high paying job may come with a big price tag. The sales job may come with no base salary.”

30. “Don’t be ‘THAT GIRL’ at your company party because you drank too much. It is totally awful.”

Ms. Career Girl

Ms. Career Girl was started in 2008 to help ambitious young professional women figure out who they are, what they want and how to get it.

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