Moving After College: 10 Tips For Recent Grads
Upon graduating from your college or university, it is one of the proudest moments of one's young adult life. Then, finally, crossing the threshold into adulthood, where you are about to embark on a new life and career into the world's workforce. But, after all the celebrations are completed with family, friends, and college peers, you will have to be ready to close a chapter on the living arrangements you may have been situated in for the last years of college or even all four years. The following steps after graduation can be sometimes tricky depending on one's situation, especially if you don't know where you are planning to move just yet.
Just as you were once moving into college when you graduated from High School, moving out of college can be as challenging as moving in. However, once you have graduated, the journey beyond school begins and is truly where the venture into adulthood begins. So, to get things in motion, once the celebrations and emotions have dwindled, now is the time to get in action to get the necessary tasks and items figured out.
It can sometimes be challenging for a recent college grad to ensure they have made the correct steps to move on from college. However, this same methodology was valid when you were probably entering college after high school graduation. So to make your exit from your college or university, Collegeboxes will give the best tips to maximize your strategy and plan after college.
1. Confirm What Your Next Steps Are After You Graduate
After your college graduation and celebrations are completed, it is vital to confirm all your following plans after your collegiate career. After the dust has settled, we recommend that you sit down and plan out while writing down all the priorities you need to accomplish. It could be where you plan to move or relocate, what you need to save for an apartment, and working out to find the best job possible with your background experience.
When planning your next steps after college, you will want to do things thoroughly to be prepared for what the real world can throw at you once you step away from your collegiate campus. In addition, it means that there are tasks that bring you fully into the working and real-world; you will have to be more responsible than you may have been during your collegiate career. Finally, other than finding a solid full-time job out of college, you will want to find indeed where you're going to settle around the country.
2. Organize Your Belongings
After graduating from college, things can be pretty hectic, from planning your next move to a new location can be challenging for more than a college graduate. Getting yourself and your belongings packed is a tall order, especially if you have a deadline to meet for your new job or priorities. To prepare for your move, the best way to get organized is to put everything into categories. Doing this will give you not only peace of mind but give you better efficiency and functionality.
While you're packing for your move away from your now Alma Mater, you can have all your necessary items categorized and sectioned off so that nothing gets lost or misplaced when you pack them in boxes. Resulting in gaining more time and ease of stress for whatever is thrown your way. Then once you have everything packed, you will want to ensure you label all your boxes to what you had categorized your belongings in to start with; that way, when you arrive at your new home, you'll be in great shape to unpack quickly and efficiently.
3. Network Within Your Area
Anytime you move to a new area or location, learning about the best restaurants, concerts, and entertainment venues will help you feel more comfortable and become accustomed to your surrounding areas. Also, look for new clubs you can join to meet new people who you can not only be friends with but aid in helping you become more acquainted with what you need to know in your new area.
Networking can be in the professional aspect of your life and be a fantastic way to meet your new social circle. Since you may be still new to a new state or city, you might want to consider looking at clubs or social gatherings to meet new friends. In doing so, you might strike a good conversation to land a roommate instead of possibly getting your one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment. It will not only save you money, but you will have an excellent chance to make a new friend in the process.
Doing your due diligence will only give you the edge to become more comfortable within your new environment while exploring what adulthood has to offer outside an educational setting. Thus, resulting in more confidence for whatever life throws your way and pursuing what you want most of your career and personal life.
4.Create A Monthly Financial Budget
Upon graduation and settling down from all the emotions of completing your collegiate career, it is strongly recommended that you put a monthly budget together to help you come up with at least two and a half times the amount of rent a potential apartment for yourself will be. Additionally, to ensure you have a great start to your adult and work life, you should plan out a steady financial plan and make sure that you have a bank reserve in case of emergency
Being efficient and responsible with your money and budget will aid you in having a better start to your career and personal life. By budgeting, you will be able to have the correct amount of funds to pay your bills, save for things you have goals in mind and have the security knowing you will have the financial means for whatever life throws your way.
5. Consider Living With Your Parents
Even though it might not seem like a trendy or cool thing to do, it could serve you well in your future after graduation. You might think that it will get easier since you've completed your degree. Unfortunately, that may not always be the case because the real world can get tricky out there, especially if you're not used to paying all your bills. Well, adulting can be challenging, so we strongly recommend that you live with your parents for some time depending on your situation.
There are many reasons to do this, but the biggest reason is going to give you the flexibility you need to save money for your place to live, emergency fund, and give you peace of mind while you get yourself on your feet in the real world and the start to your career.
6. Save For An Apartment Deposit
When you move away from college, you might have already had a job or two while you were saving money or had major bills you had to pay to support yourself. But if you didn't, then it is something you will have to get used to as it is part of entering the workforce and the real world, wherein college you may have been able to earn a full-tuition scholarship, save for college, or have family assistance to pay for room and board. Getting an apartment is a whole other ball game from that.
Most apartments will require that if you are a new renter and with little to no credit history, you need to put down what is known as two and one-half times the amount of rent per month. It means you will have to save the amount of rent per month for 2.5 months to put down as a security deposit. For example, if your apartment costs $900 per month, you will have to save at least $2,250 as a security deposit to get approved if you don't have sufficient credit coming out of college. But, if you do, that could be different. In conclusion, there will be certain aspects other than the process of getting approved for an apartment. For example, you will need to have the means to afford more than just the rent but the utilities. So we highly recommend that you save your money so that you can have financial peace of mind!
7. Donate Unwanted Items
As the years go by, things we once loved tend to get phased out, but that doesn't mean we can't outgrow or not want certain items such as clothes, shoes, and other personal items. In college, you may have bought things or had things you liked or used very often but outgrew. The reason to declutter and be efficient with your belongings is that moving out of college can be just as tricky as moving in. Plus, you will feel good about donating and gifting someone with something of use to them.
8. Create Personal Goals
As you venture out into the real world, things in your life are going to take a significant step forward into the world of adulthood for young graduates as they figure out where they will start their careers, lives, and newfound passions. While ensuring your professional life is going well, we highly recommend that you take time away from yourself to set some personal goals. An example could be finding new friends, getting into a new hobby, traveling more, and doing something you have never tried before.
Goals are a great way to help yourself evolve from what you know outside of your collegiate life, and as you enter into the real world after college, they'll help channel that energy and focus towards new heights!
9. Search For Reputable Companies
While in your senior year of college, you were probably searching for the perfect job after college and did many interviews. Maybe, you didn't find what you were looking for right off the bat. So, therefore, after you graduate, you are still looking for a reputable job opportunity. If you don't have a job right out of college, you are probably still trying to figure out where you're going to work. One of the best ways to search for reputable companies is by using job search engines, company online reviews, and various tools to find the best companies within your area and industry.
In that case, then we recommend that you start networking within your industry or area you would like to work within. Then, find a job that fits your needs, wants, and, most importantly, the suitable skillset and experience you have coming out of college. Doing these will aid you in having a better opportunity and chance to land that job you desire. Note that all results and outcomes are variable, we can't guarantee, but we urge you to get out there and find various areas to network within to land your dream job out of college.
10. Create Professional Goals
Moving into your career or your first real job out of college can be a challenge for anyone coming out of their collegiate career. While you went to a college or university for various reasons, getting a great career and job started was probably the main priority reason you attended. During your journey to graduating college, you probably found something you're very passionate about or love doing. From that, you found a career you could sink yourself into for a long time.
Before you venture out into that space, it will be a great idea to set some long and short-term goals for yourself. In doing so, you will keep yourself accountable for what is to come for the future ahead and be best prepared as you can. These goals can be striving to be more detail-oriented, setting a benchmark on where you are trying to be in your career in a period, or getting better at tasks you might have struggled with before.
After knowing some of the common tips that will aid you after graduation can give you a leg up when venturing into the real world. While you may have a plan to ship all of your belongings out of college, you might want to consider Collegeboxes direct shipping. There are many reasons to consider using Collegeboxes immediate shipping, but some of the biggest reasons are cost efficiency and flexibility versus other forms of shipping.
For example, Collegeboxes direct shipping is a quick and easy process:
- Sign up for a Collegeboxes account.
- Order the best shipping boxes we offer (Optional), and then they will arrive at your door in 3-5 business days.
- Pack and print your shipping labels
- FedEx will pick up your boxes from your campus, or if you want, you can drop them off at your local FedEx location.
- Track your packages to their final destination using your Collegeboxes account, see your packages' shipping progress from dropoff to delivery with ease.
These are just some of the various features and benefits of why college graduates trust us with moving their belongings and shipping needs.
Graduating from college can be one of the most exciting but nerve-racking things a young adult will do. However, we're confident these ten tips will give you the confidence to make sure you're making the correct steps towards a bright future after college. While we can't guarantee these tips will bring you success, these tips can aid you in being prepared for whatever challenges the natural world and workforce throw at you while having some peace of mind in the process towards your dreams and goals.