“Now that I’ve graduated, what’s next?” a common question that went past our heads as we submit our final exams sheets awaiting for our graduation. My expectations of adulthood as a student were quite different. I have envisioned myself gaining full independence and financial freedom to do and buy myself whatever I want. However, reality didn’t quite align with my perceptions. The truth is, upon graduating from college and finding my first job, I encountered various struggles and anxiety-inducing situations. Here’s a glimpse into the top 5 challenges I faced after my graduation:

5. Job Searching: The Competitive Jungle

If you believed that trying to land yourself with an internship is tough, wait till you start searching for your full time job. The aspiration of landing your dream job at your first try is truly a dream that rarely materialize for many. More often than not you will find yourself competing with tens if not hundreds others for the same entry level positions. Unlike the familiar grounds of graduate internships, you are facing a larger pool of competitors from different age groups and experiences vying for the same positions. Be comfortable with the multiple rejections that comes your way and treat is as an opportunity to work on your interview skills and resume writing.

Most importantly, always keep in mind that it is not always your fault or incompetence that resulted in the rejection. Sometimes, its really just about being at the right place at the right time and for some, even knowing the right people.

4. Financial Planning: Navigating the Paycheck Maze

Transitioning from a student budget to a full-fledged working adult can seem like a dream and a ticket to financial freedom. But hold your horses! Before you checkout that shopping cart from your wish list, consider the extra financial responsibility that comes with it. Now that you are literally in charge of your own finances, it is your own’s responsibility to managed them and ensure that you have sufficient savings for the rainy weather as well as to pay for any debts that you have incurred (a hefty college debt in my case). Not to mention, your daily meals, entertainment and transport expense will also be taking up a decent portion of your paycheck. Hence, financial planning becomes crucial to ensuring a healthy and secure financial future for yourself. Learning to budget, save, and invest wisely are essential skills that may not have been part of the college curriculum but are extremely important for your future success.

3. Adapting to the 9-5pm Routine: Fitting into a new lifestyle

For many college graduates, adapting to the conventional 9-5pm work routine can be a challenge as we were given the privilege of planning our own classes and study schedules. We were granted the flexibility to plan a schedule within our comfort zone. However, as you take on your first job, it is highly likely that you will be expected to work within a set of office hours (unless you are fortunate enough to get a job with flexible work settings). Gone are the days of flexible class schedules and late-night study sessions. Now, you must synchronize your life around your standard working hours. No longer can you be booking your favorite spin or Pilates session during off-peak hours at a cheaper rate, instead you are going to have to find more friendly timing outside of your work hours (likely peak-hours). Prompting you with a new challenge in finding the balance between your sedentary working hours and your fitness plans. With that, old habits have to go and new habits have to be created.

2. Adulting: Responsibilities Beyond the Classroom

As you officially graduated from college and received your first pay from your fulltime job. You will soon find yourself swarmed by newsletters from government institutes and banks informing you of all the extra costs that you got to pay as a working adult. Expenses such as taxes, insurance and loans will find their way to you in the forms of emails and newsletter making them hard to missed and at times anxiety inducing, especially if you were not mentally prepared for any of it. A word of advise: Its best if you start to look up for some financial planning tips to help you navigate the complicated world of adulthood.

1. Managing Expectations: The Balancing Act

Finally the top one struggle that I believe most will face after graduation is the management of various expectations. This includes the expectations of parents, society, or even your own self-imposed goals. As the excitement of adulting is view as an important milestone in the eyes of many, our ideals and the pressure by others to meet certain standards can be overwhelming. Trying to please everyone with just the little experience and minimal savings you had after graduation is going to be exhausting and discouraging when you fail to meet them. As such, I believed that a strong support system is absolutely necessary and they may not necessary be support from your own family. I understand that at times, it could be hard to build such support system especially when the pressure is coming from your closest kins but not all hope is lost. Find some time to have a proper conversation with them to realign your expatiations or you can create your own emotional support group with someone whom you can trust and know that they are willing to support you regardless of the situation.

In conclusion, life after graduation is undoubtedly a swim in the deep pool and it can be tough Navigating all these at once on your own. But always remember, you are not alone and with resilience, adaptability, the path to adulthood can become a fulfilling journey of self-discovery and growth.