10 20-Somethings On What They Wish They Knew When Graduating From College

The cherry blossom trees are blooming, the air is getting warmer, and people are starting to emerge from their winter hibernation. Smells like graduation season!

Inevitably, when we hit that last week of college, just after finals and just before commencement, there are a lot of unknowns. Where am I going to work? Or Where am I going to live? Better yet What am I going to DO with my life? 

Here are 10 20-somethings on what they wished they’d known when they graduated college.

“I wish I had known that ‘failure’ means something different after college. If you get rejected from your ‘dream job’ or have to learn as you go, it doesn’t mean you’ll never succeed. You might actually discover the right path by floundering around for a while and trying something new.” — Lauren, 26

“Learning what types of jobs, types of coworkers or relationships that aren’t fulfilling or make you unhappy is just as important as finding things that ARE fulfilling and do make you happy.” — Siobhan, 24

“I wish when I graduated that I knew the best times were yet to to come.” — Alex, 25

“(Re)Watch the movie ‘The Graduate’. You’re not alone in feeling like you’re in a postgrad haze or limbo. Just don’t have an affair with a married woman!” — T.J., 25

“You’ll only miss college for like a year.” — Chris, 32

“How to budget. That I should start a 401K and Roth IRA as soon as I can.” — Jillianne, 28

“Why it’s important to pay off debt quickly.” — Megan, 30

“How to save up for a house. I think all college seniors should have to take a class on finances, money, debt, etc.” — Emily,

“Nobody else knows what they’re doing either.” — Nick, 26

“How to plan your finances for a future that may not be what you plan for when you start saving.” Michelle, 30