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The ‘Real World’ Is Full Of Secrets And People In This Online Group Are Spilling Them To Help The Young Adults Entering It (22 Pieces Of Advice)
Article created by: Jurgita Dominauskaitė
When we were kids, we couldn’t wait to grow up. There was something about adulthood that looked so cool: being able to decide for yourself, not depending on anyone or asking anyone’s permission. But as we got older, we realized that it’s hard making decisions when your life depends on it, it’s nice to have someone to depend on and not be totally on your own and that other people’s advice is actually valuable and can help you out a lot.
Entering the real world can be scary because you really are thrown out of your comfort zone. But to make the fall a little bit softer, you can prepare in advance by knowing what there is to know. There is a lot of knowledge on the internet you can refer to or you can just ask. Reddit user JNobes11 did just that—they asked people “What is an important piece of advice you can give for those moving into the ‘real world?’” People from all walks of life shared what is the most valuable thing they know about ‘the real world’ so young people wouldn’t struggle with the transition as much.
More info: Reddit
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#1
"Legal" and "illegal" are not the same as "right" and "wrong".
Don't expect things to work out in your favor just because you "did the right thing" - there is no invisible hand that punishes the bad and rewards the good.
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#3
When furnishing your home with stuff you find on the side of the road, it's fine to take hard things (tables, art, etc) but never pick up soft things (upholstered chairs, carpets...)
#4
It's ok to say no.
It's just a job, there will be others.
Don't try fitting in if it requires you to break your personal values.
Being respectful and polite is cool.
#5
Learn to think for YOURSELF. All of your life your parents taught and promoted THEIR views on life, politics, religion, etc. and probably also told you how wrong the other viewpoints are. Now is the time to go, "How do I feel? What do I think?"
#6
Your employer is usually a neutral party at best. Rare exceptions to this exist, but as a rule your boss is not your friend and does not have your best interests at heart. They have you there to make money off of your labor, no more and no less. This is a business arrangement, learn to automatically see this as the default. You need to look out for your own interests. Get a better offer elsewhere? Don't think for a second you owe loyalty to your boss, they'd replace you in a heartbeat if you keeled over at your desk. Similarly: mental health days are sick days. Don't trick yourself into believing that you're 'letting the team down' because you need to take care of yourself. No one else at your job is going to take care of you, at best they will do the bare minimum to meet legal requirements. There are exceptions to the above and sometimes the right people or management can earn your loyalty. Just remember that you come first. Not customers, not co-workers, not managers. Do the job, get paid, go home. Never believe that you have to sacrifice your physical or mental wellbeing for a job, they don't pay you enough for that. Ever.
#7
Be very careful of being dragged into any sort of workplace drama/politics. That friendly coworker who is dishing you all the dirt as you learn the ropes is looking for allies. You have no obligation to hang out with these people in a social setting.
#8
Look after your teeth because they are expensive to fix, toothpaste, a good toothbrush and dental floss are cheap so use them well. Look after your credit rating, it is difficult to fix when it goes wrong and also remember that things do go wrong so perhaps have a small contingency available if you can. Learn to save and budget so you know how much you can use and save comfortably. Be good to yourself and look after mental health.
#9
Don't just react to things. Think critically. Take a few seconds to analyze situations and come up with conclusions. Always be self-aware and never let people use your emotions against you.
#10
Buy a plunger before you move in to your first place on your own, buy it BEFORE you NEED it.
#11
Honesty and humility get you far in the work place, as it can often be a game of likability (just be careful not to be a doormat).
E.g. I work in IT and once I was troubleshooting an issue that ended up being my fault. I told my boss it was my fault, how, why, and what we did to fix it. He told me someone else not only blamed me, but took responsibility for fixing it. I ended up coming out looking better, despite all of it being my fault, simply because I was honest. I was promoted a few months later.
#15
The real world is actually really small. Be careful of burning bridges because you’d be surprised how easy it is to run into someone years and years after you last saw them.
Mike Goslin 4 months ago
Sometimes, rarely, it is good to burn a bridge so that you are never tempted to cross it again.
#16
Everyone makes mistakes. There is no real point in constantly trying to avoid novel mistakes. Instead, accept that you are human, and instead make sure to learn from you mistakes when they happen.
"This isn't a mistake, it's a happy little accident" - Bob Ross
#17
If you're unhappy with your job, put tons of effort into finding a new one ASAP. Also learn to recognize toxic work environments. I once saw a guy quit his job in under 4 hours, just noped right out.
#18
There will be someone who will hate your guts for no particular reason, even if you are friendly with them, or even more so. It will not be your fault.
#19
The intensity of your social life will likely change - and this is mostly a good thing, but be prepared for it.
Being outside of school means you are free from a lot of the weird drama that comes with doing everything in a closed system with roughly the same people. There is still drama, but you can almost always escape it because your life is divided now. You don't live with all your friends and work with them.
On the other hand, making new social connections is a new challenge because you aren't thrown into a closed system with people all at your stage of life with many of the same problems. But making friends definitely happens. For me, wherever I was in life, it always took me about one year to make one new close friend. Patience is key. I would say you make fewer social connections, but a lot of them are of higher quality.
A last piece of advice, don't view work as your only source, or even your primary source, for friends, dates, and hook-ups. Try to keep part of your social life separate.
#20
Have a budget and stick to it. Know the difference between wanting something and needing something. Don't forget to add a treat yourself line in the budget. Don't focus on what other people have/do. Stay in your lane and focused on you and yours. Get a cast iron skillet.
#21
If something is too good to be true it probably is. People will try to take advantage of you, and you’ll probably fall for it sometimes. It’s how you learn, don’t be too down on yourself just learn from it and move on.
#22
You don't have to know how to do everything. Knowing how to learn, and being willing to put the effort into learning it, is more important than knowing any one skill. Your attitude is more important than aptitude. An employer can teach you the specific skills needed, but if you aren't a person that people want to be around, then why would they bother?
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