Life After College: 7 Out of the Box Secrets No One Tells You

Most of these types of articles will help prepare you for the normal adulting life after college. The struggles of finding a job, the realities of living on your own, and paying the bills. While this is all great, I am here to show you that there’s more to life after college. 

Soon after graduating from a private business school, I honestly had no idea what to do. I went through the motions of applying for a new job while getting ready to move out of my parent’s house. 

The thing that no one tells you is that it’s hard, and it feels like your options are limited. 

Wait, does this sound familiar?

Get a degree, get a job, live on your own, commute to the same work every day, and live like that until retirement. 

Oh, don’t forget the two-week vacation package, non-existent holiday bonus, and the 3% end-of-year raise. Yippee!

For those of you that don’t like math: a 3% raise on $20 an hour (which is a pretty average starting salary for a recent grad) equals 0.60 cents. 

And to be honest, the money isn’t the problem, it’s the feeling of being stuck. 

After a while, you start to think that there’s got to be more in life. 

Well, I am here to tell you that you’re right. 

First, you’ll feel the full-blown force of leaving the educational system. 

You will immediately feel the realities that come with the adulting world. You will probably work through the motions because it’s what you think you’re supposed to do.

But, below, I will let you in on the secrets to help make the best of your post-graduate life. 

And yes, if you’re wondering, these will be some of the most unconventional advice you’ll get. 

As you know, my mission in life is to help budding travelers across the world find their freedom. 

This is exactly the out-of-the-box kind of thinking you’ll need in your life post-grad.

 

First Things First

Accept that You Will Go Through the Motions

You will most likely feel the pressure of needing to find a job. Adulting is crazy hard if you ask 

me, especially if no one prepared you for the realities of the new world you’re about to live in. 

But, please know that there’s so much more to life. So yes, go through the job applications, find a place to live, pay the bills, and commute to work, but don’t let it end there. 

Confusion, Depression, and Reality will Set In

There isn’t much in college that prepares you for the real world. You won’t have enough experience to land your first dream job. 

This might lead you to think that you might not have done enough when you were in college. 

Don’t let this dishearten you.

The truth is, the work world is looking for people that have made strong connections. 

Hiring managers look for people that have others willing to vouch for them. There’s less risk that way.  

The reality is that it will be a lot harder to land a job where you want to be and that the competition will be tough.

Please, do not let yourself be confused or depressed because you are not the only one going through this.

I should know, I was definitely one of those people.

I took an entry-level job at a bank two months after I graduated. There wasn’t much out there I could find that I wanted to do with a business degree. 

Honestly, I was so confused about what to do with my life that I applied to become a teacher right before I got hired. 

Talk about dazed and confused. 

As you may know, in my story, I went through this motion for almost three years before I finally found my real purpose in life. 

I realized I hated my job because I didn’t belong tied to a desk. I wanted to be free to travel the world. 

So what’s next, you ask? Well, scroll down below, and you’ll see exactly what I did to get out of the rat race.

 

Unconventional Life After College Ideas To Try 

Take a Gap Year

This is it. The one event that changed my life. 

Think about it, you have the rest of your life to sit at the same desk and commute to the same job. But, you won’t get that feeling of freedom when you travel and explore a new corner of the world. 

For Americans, the best two countries to start with are Australia and New Zealand. It’s super easy to get a working holiday visa, and every single person I’ve met has loved spending their time there. 

2020 Update: Obviously, this has changed during the pandemic. But there’s no reason why you still couldn’t plan it out right now. That way, you’ll be prepared when the travel world is up and running again. 

PS. Do you have any questions regarding the working holiday visa in Australia? Feel free to send me a private message on my Instagram.

Keep Learning

Yes, you just graduated college, so why the heck am I asking you to keep learning? Because it’s the secret sauce to living the extraordinary life you want after college. 

Keep this motto: Never stop learning because knowledge is power. 

But please, do me a favor, and try a different route of resources. 

What do I mean by that?

It means you should start reading empowering books that will enhance your life. More importantly, you should learn to pick up new skill sets that are relevant to the world. 

Always find ways to increase your value. Learn things that interest you, then turn it into something you can share with the world later.

Make yourself valuable to the world.

Find Side Hustle Ideas and Do Them

The point above leads directly to this one. You’ll never truly be free if you don’t learn how to make extra money on the side. 

In fact, you should lean towards online side hustle ideas. These could potentially earn you full-time passive income later on in life.

Now, don’t get me wrong, most people think this is an easy and fast game. I’m here to tell you that it’s not. 

It will require a lot of dedication, time, and energy. 

But, there’s no better time to start than today. That way, a couple of years down the line, you are able to have the life you want to live.

Create a Vision Board for What You Truly Want in Life

Now, we’re getting somewhere. Map this out and be honest with yourself. Because really, after I graduated, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do. 

In fact, it took me another four years.

Ask yourself these questions to get you started:

– Do I love what I’m doing right now? If not, what are the things I love doing?

– Where can I see myself in 5 years?

– What makes me happy? (Really think about this)

– If I win the lottery, what would I do with the money? (Be smart about this answer; there’s a reason most winners end up being broke within a couple of years)

Live with Purpose

Yes, even the job you’re about to apply at. Make sure that the positions you’re going for will take you to where you want to be. 

And no, I am not talking about climbing the corporate ladder. Although, if you are, that’s great, but you might be reading the wrong article.

To finish my point above, align your everyday life with what you have on your vision board. 

So, if the dream is to travel the world, find a job that will let you have the skill sets, you’ll need to be location independent. 

Even if you apply as an assistant, try tech companies where you can be around coders. You could also try a marketing company, which is invaluable if you try to sell your products later.

Keep your goals in the back of your mind. 

Always make sure that whatever it is you’re doing every day, it’s aligned with your long-term plans.

 

Follow Your Dreams and Don’t Give Up

Never think to yourself that you can’t do something because it’s out of reach. Otherwise, airplanes and rocketships would not have been invented. 

Don’t let others tell you that you can’t do it. Remember, you are limited only by your imagination. 

With the proper tools, you have everything you’ll need in your hands. Couple that with the dedication to achieve the things you want in life, and you’ve got the magic formula.

There’s a reason that I wrote the article this way. 

I want to help YOU reading this right now to know that there are many options in life. Sometimes, we just need someone to help us realize this. 

Trust me, I didn’t know about the gap year until I read about someone else’s experience. 

Can you believe that it all happened after doing a random internet search on my desk one day?

I hope that I’ve inspired you to take the leap and live for yourself. 

Follow your dreams and make a plan so that it comes true. 

If you need any help, I am always here for you. Feel free to leave a comment, or as I’ve said above, shoot me a private message on my Instagram. I’d love to help you out achieve your goals. 

Oh, and speaking of goals. If you haven’t yet, take the first step towards your dreams right now. 

Click here to get the free travel goals setting workbook made just for you. 

This will help you plan your long-term travel strategies and will be your first step to freedom.  

I promise all of this will be worth it in the end! So what are you waiting for?

 

See you inside!