What is Life Like After Graduating High School?

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After graduating high school, I knew that I was going to college and I knew exactly what college I was going to. I had a plan set for myself, but things change.

Here are some takeaways I’ve learned after graduating high school:

1. You Get Total Authority Over Your Own Life.

After you turn 18 you begin making your own decisions. Your life is now in your hands whichever way you choose to take is completely in your hands.

2. The Real Responsibilities Start Rolling In.

You’ll begin putting things in your name if you don’t have them already. You’ll begin paying bills whether it’s as little as a credit card bill or as big as a car note, this is when you start.

3. Constantly Figuring Out Your Next Step.

After high school, and for most of your adult life. There will be a continuous cycle of ‘what is the next step for me?’ You won’t always have a game plan lined up because things change and it may feel like you don’t have it all together but in actuality, as much as s may seem, no one does and that’s completely normal.

4. Tackling Life’s Hurdles The Best Way You Know How and Getting Better At It As You Go.

It may seem like the world is constantly against you, but it’s not. There will be hard times that don’t seem fair or may seem too tough to handle but I’m here to tell you, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. Hard times build character and some of the strongest people. Basically, the older you get, the better you get at tackling these tough situations.

5. Everyone Will Give Their Two Cents.

Everyone will give their opinions on what they think you should do or which direction you should take with your life. Only you know what’s best for you. The best advice I ever received was to never listen to someone who is not where you want to be in life. If you wouldn’t trade places with them then you shouldn’t listen to them. I stopped listening to everyone and followed my heart. I stopped listening to everyone and started searching for people who were in positions I wanted to be in.

6. Real-life Situations Could Lead To Anxiety and/or Depression

Not everyone is able to handle things in the same way, and not everyone is strong. Being an adult in the real world can be stressful and can really get the best of you. After graduating high school, you enter the workforce, discover love and go through heartbreak, financial stress, family and friends, and many other things. Too much at once can be hard to handle and can take a toll on your mental health. Always make it a priority to take care of your mental health.

7. You’ll Grow in Ways You’d Never Imagine

Afterward, you begin to discover your true self, the things you like and the things you don’t like. You outgrow things, bad habits, and even people…its life. People might say you’ve changed, but you’ll save you’ve grown. I can truly say I’m a totally different person than I was when I was in high school. 18-year-old me would be so proud.

8. You’ll Always Feel The Need to Find Ways to Make Money

You’ll be taking care of yourself and maybe even others as well, which means you’ll need to be financially independent. Most people are fortunate enough to be able to stay with their parents after high school. Which is the smartest thing to do while stacking your money. You’ll learn about the economy and inflation because you’ll be affected by it. You’ll learn that two incomes are better than one.

9. There’s Really No Time For Lollygagging

That time period of just graduating high school is like a breath of fresh air. Eventually, all you really want to do is relax. That should really be the time period where you begin getting your sh*t together. Yeah, you’re still young but the earlier you start, the earlier you will take off.

Thank you for reading!