Life After Graduation: Becoming Financially Independent

College life was a blast. You made tons of new friends, enjoyed partying at the weekends and worked hard to achieve your degree. As the weeks crept ever closer to graduation day, you started to get nervous, sweat dripped from your brow, and mild palpitations started. The sudden realization that you’d no longer be protected by the college campus and that you’d have to venture out into the big wide world dawned on you. You don’t have a job yet, you have nowhere to live, and you are lumbered, like most students, with a whole host of debts.

The situation seems pretty hopeless and to get on an even keel financially, socially and emotionally seems like a mammoth task, but it can be done. Thousands of college grads every year make a success of their transition into the real world. Take a look at these tips to help you thrive in your newfound independence.

Be Realistic

It can be soul destroying to realize that your major in philosophy will have very little bearing on the sort of graduate role you may end up doing. You could make a beeline for the world of banking, investments or pensions. If a financial career sounds like a chore, maybe the highly pressured environment of advertising or marketing is more your thing. Be clear about your career choice, check out https://collegegrad.com/ and start applying for jobs. The sooner you obtain your first graduate position, the sooner you can begin earning a wage and thinking how best to utilize your monthly paycheck.

Finances

That first monthly wage will appear in your bank account, and there will be a temptation to splash out and spend it. Don’t. Start as you mean to go on and set up a monthly budget detailing all of your outgoings. This way, you can work out how much disposable income you have.

Like most college graduates, you may have an array of student loans that are hanging around your neck. Now that you are earning a wage, you can begin to chip away at the debt to achieve a sense of financial freedom. Take a look at a site like https://consolidatestudent.loan that explains how you can combine your multiple student loans into one single payment each month. By doing this, you are making your financial budgeting simpler while decreasing your level of debt each month. Don’t put off paying back loans. The quicker you can get rid of them, the quicker you can think about using your money for investments or savings.

Showing financial discipline now will pay off in the long run and can see you venturing onto the property ladder quicker or having more disposable income to travel and socialize.

The Future

Although it may seem like eons away, you will eventually retire from the world of work. While it may seem strange to consider this concept before you have even begun your career, the sooner you make provisions for your retirement, the sooner you can start putting money into a pensions savings pot. You will no longer have access to the bank of mum and dad and need to start getting all of your finances in order.

After graduating from college, assess and reflect on your financial situation and take steps to address your debt and future savings. By doing this, you will achieve your much longed for financial freedom.