5/12: DOs and DON'Ts for the Recent College Graduate

So you are graduating soon...Good for you, we're mighty proud of ya. Have you heard the questions "What are your plans?" or "Got a job yet?" about a million times or what? Well, at Kickin' A, not only are we a crack commando unit that survives in the Los Angeles underground as soldiers of fortune, but we also save kittens stuck in trees in our free time. It's with that helpful and caring attitude that we provide you with a few DOs and DON'Ts for the recent college graduate. Here goes:

DO move to another state. Back in the 19th century, people rarely went more than 30 miles from where they were born and if they did, they likely died of dysentery on the Oregon Trail. Well, it's not the 1800's anymore, so go…now, before it's too late. If you don't have any idea of where to go, hang up a map, get drunk, and start throwing darts until you hit "your spot".

DO make a list of 100 things you want to do before you turn 30 and make sure you do them. Next thing you know you will be the big Three-Zero and complaining about how "the world has ended, can't party like you used to or do what you want to do, it's time to settle down…". That's all crap! Who made this up anyway? Settle down? Screw those people. They're just telling you that because they did it, they regret it and want you to join them in their misery.

DO take a road-trip with a few friends (not just one, at least two, because you will have your little arguments). Go to as many places as you can, but take your time…throw away the map for a while and get lost. Get a national parks pass, a good tent and sleeping bag, buy an XCARGO and strap it to the roof of your car and hit the road.

DO start a business. Before you go to work for someone else, try starting a business involving something you love. What the hell do you have to lose? You probably live at home or in an apartment with friends, your biggest worry is paying your cable bill so you can watch The Family Guy and Skinemax. If it doesn't work out…screw it, now you know what not to do.

DO become a personal financial expert. It actually doesn't take all that much effort and you'll feel like a genius once you realize how much you're saving. Here are 3 steps to get you started:

-Start saving. No matter how little, it's worth it to get into this habit. The rule of thumb is "pay yourself before you pay anyone else." And don't just throw it into the same savings account from your bank that earns 1% interest. Look around and find some other type of accounts that earn a better interest rate (CDs, money market, mutual funds, IRAs, etc.) and pick the one or more that you're comfortable with.

-Consolidate your college loan now. Lock in a good interest rate and make it easy on yourself by only having to pay one bill a month. Twenty minutes of time upfront will save you more time in the long run when you have to manage 2 or 3 different bills.

-Pay off your credit card debt. Usually the only thing you have to show with credit card debt from college is a hangover, a drawer full of bar receipts, and a memories from that night, you know the one where you didn't even feel like partying, probably going to stay in and just chill… But hey in the end the memories are priceless so maybe it was all worth it. In any case, get it paid off as soon as you can and never touch them unless you can pay off the balance immediately.

DO Get wasted as much as possible and piss on your college loan bill before sending it in.

DON'T start a "career" right away, no matter how good that offer looks. At first, you're all psyched…workin' man, alright. Within two weeks, you're trying to duck out of the office before Lumberg can ask you to work this weekend, oh and he's pissed because you forgot to put a cover letter on your TPS reports. You have the rest of your life to get up in the morning, fight traffic, and deal with that bullshit.

DON'T stay in college too long. While further education is vital in many fields, for most, if you end up staying too long, you might end up being a professor with no real world experience. You know these guys and you probably didn't like them or get much out their class. They went right from undergrad to graduate work to doctorate to being a prick. They can't figure out why or how you have a life outside of class and studying. So, before this happens, please go out into the field and be successful or a failure. It will make your teaching so much more interesting and seriously, do you really want my kids hating your class and complaining about you? And speaking of staying too long…

DON'T become a towny. Many people go to college in major metropolitan areas, but so many more go to school in a town where the college is the only thing supporting the local economy. Thus, the townies end up despising the college kids because they hate the off-campus housing situation and all the drinking and late night noise and blah, blah, blah. If you ever find yourself thinking, "those damn college kids!" please move away as soon as possible.

DON'T become a prick. OK, so you've got a degree. But guess what, that piece of paper - no matter what words are printed on it - means that you are, once again, low man on the totem poll. Just like when you went kindergarten, moved on to middle school, started freshman year of high school and then moved into the dorms. Some people tend to think a degree is an induction into The King Shit Club. Please, don't be that guy. Everybody hates that guy.

Anyway, like we said, we're mighty proud of ya and we hope you found this at least a little helpful. Remember that while the best years of your life are officially behind you, take it from us, the future can be pretty damn fun, too.

Discuss the DO's and DON'Ts here

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