Graduates: Welcome to the real world… well, sort of.

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It is that time of year again: Graduation time.  I realized in the years after graduating college there was a lot I did not know. Buzzfeed.com has become one of my favorite websites and below is a list of 11 things they believe all graduates should know.  Afterwards, I add a couple of my own.  And this isn’t just for recent graduates… most of this information is valid to all generations.

1. Return Your Cap And Gown (And Your Library Books) Before You Leave Campus
2. Don’t Throw Out Your Student I.D.
3. Make Your Own Lunch
4. Use Your Commuting Time Wisely
5. Hangovers Will Get A Lot Harder To Deal With
6. Keep Track Of All Your Tax Stuff
7. Use Your Credit Card (Wisely)
8. Go Back To Band Camp (Or Keep Playing Soccer, Or Doing Indian Classical Dance, Or Whatever)
9. Sex Gets Better
10. Don’t Freak Out If Everything Doesn’t Happen Right Away
11. Don’t Freak Out If You Never Graduate College In The First Place

My additional items:

1. Read – When you get older and look back.. you will realize you have more free time now then you realized.  Set time aside now.
2. Ask for help – Do try going at everything alone.  Ask for help.
3. Trust your intuition – Your gut is usually right.
4. Save your money – Trust me… you never know when you will need more than you have… save now.
5. Pay bills on time – Don’t get yourself in trouble and mess up your credit.
6. Volunteer – Give back.
7. Respect your elders – they know a lot both from their past and their experience.  I do not give them slack for not being as tech savvy as you are.  Let them learn and help them.
8. Get plenty of sleep – Period. DO IT!
9. Cook dinner at home – Save your moolah for important things.  Save money and cook at home.  Need fast and easy recipes?  Say it with me, “Google.”
10. Always look for a discount – So many places to find a discount.  I rarely pay full price for anything. Groupon, Living Social, Sunday Circular, Foursquare, Blogs, emails… the list goes on.  Do NOT pay full price.  And if you cannot find one, ask for one.  Most retailers and online shops have the ability to negotiate prices or give free shipping.  If you don’t ask, you will never know.
11. Network – Build your community.  You never know when you might need them.

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Cheers!