Tuesday, May 4, 2010

PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER GRADUATION

Graduation days are generally memorable days. Apart from receiving whatever certificates we are awarded with whether a kindergarten, high school diploma or any other something else, graduation day bring to us what we and other people present at the ceremony do not immediately see, is more responsibility. This is true for every level and our fulfillment largely depends on the way we handle these responsibilities.
Take for instance the day you graduated from the kindergarten. Suddenly it was time to enter a higher class, filled with more difficult sums to solve and more books to read. Your new teacher even expects better behavior from you! Those responsibilities at home are certainly not left out in all of this. Suddenly you were given more chores than you could possibly handle, and everyone just expected you to behave like a grown-up overnight.
This is just the case after graduating from college. After you and your friends have purchased your robes and caps for graduation, and collect your certificates, the day comes to an abrupt end. The next morning, realization hits. Everywhere you go people expect more from you. Then, because you may have to live on your own, the bills start coming. At first the debt come in trickles, then it floods, and if you do not go out to find a job, you get into real trouble. If you are lucky, you can begin a career making fairly good pay (at this stage no job is bad because you need every cent you can make). Then comes the realization that no matter how much you make, it is never enough to cover the necessities and a social life -- such as hanging out with friends or treating yourself.
This is the road many a senior has taken after wearing his or her gown and cap. Nevertheless, it doesn’t have to be exactly like this. The secret to ensuring that you are prepared for what life throws your way after graduation is to start planning ahead of time for what should be expected and when you would be separated from family and society. There is an eventual transition to contribute to your own life.
Planning ahead does not just mean ensuring that your ceremony does not cost you too much by going for cheap graduation robes and cutting down on all costs, although it is a small portion of it. Planning starts while you are still in school. It entails working towards healthy habits and encourages thrift spending. This will ensure that when it matters the most that is, when you need to save a lot more because you have more responsibilities calling for your attention, adjusting will not be an arduous task. When people do not understand this in time, they soon become buried in so much debt arising from their unhealthy spending and living habits.
The best way to enjoy growing up after graduation then largely depends on how well we plan for it before commencement.

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