The truth about life after graduation:

1. Be prepared to feel lost.

And I mean "the first time Katniss Everdeen entered District 1" kind of lost. It’s a big world out there, so use it to your advantage.

Take any opportunity that calls out to you because you never know what doors might open for you. You don’t have to leap into the industry most related to your course of study. Take this time to expand your mind beyond what you already know.

In the words of Neale Donald Walsch: “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone”.

2. It’s time to grow up

It’s the best thing ever. Trust me on this. Although being an adult comes with what seems like the weight of the world on your shoulders, it also has its perks.

You are at an age where crossroads are inevitable, but yet you still have the luxury of time.

You’ll be faced with many difficult life decisions that you’ll have to make on your own and the scariest thing is having to live out the consequence.

3. Money, Money, Money

Life is going to get more expensive. For those who do not intend to continue their studies just yet, you have to say goodbye to student discounts and cheap cafeteria lunches.

The cost of living in Singapore is indeed high and you might have to learn that the hard way. My advice is to get a part-time job. A part-time job allows you the freedom of flexible shifts, and yet supplements your income. You can still enjoy your social life, maybe even at fancier cafes.

4. People Change

And so do you. You might lose contacts with your closest group of friends.

Life will go by so quickly and soon you’re attending weddings and baby showers, whichever comes first. The people you were once surrounded by are also trying to figure out their next step, so forgive them if the plans you made together don’t follow through.

I graduated a year ago and I have yet to go on that graduation trip my friends and I talked so much about.

5. You feel small sometimes

We all know that one classmate that has her whole life planned out. The one that got straight A’s, a great internship, and job positions waiting for her even before she graduates.

Most of us have accepted the fact that we will settle for a B average GPA. There will come a point where you feel inferior to your classmates who have gotten better jobs than you or if they got accepted into a good University to continue their studies.

Patience is a virtue and life is honestly not a rat-race as most people claim it to be. You are good enough; it’s just not your time yet.

6. Your best grades won’t matter, and neither will your worst.

Take it from someone who has never succeeded academically in all my years of study. Sometimes I like to think of myself as the bane of the Singapore education system.

I can tell you honestly that there will always be places in the work force that take little or no account of your grade point average.

Perhaps it’s due to the fact that the GPA system was not used in the generation of our current employers. When your lecturers tell you that employers are looking for paper qualifications above all else, ask him, “What paper qualification exactly?”

Though grades do matter in specific industries, many employers still take your portfolio, experience and personality into account. A good attitude goes a long way.

7. It can be overwhelming, but only for a while

You’re going to want to cry, scream, and maybe even drink away your sorrows (but only before 10:30pm if you’re not at home cause your current allowance is not enough to pay the fine).

You are going to question yourself a lot and wonder why you chose the course you graduated from in the first place. Before you start to spiral into the abyss, talk to your friends and you’ll find that you are not alone.

If you are reading this and are graduating soon, don’t worry too much. If you are reading this and have already graduated, don’t worry too much.

I can’t say I have everything figured out thus far, but things are not as difficult as they seemed in my final semester.

Mistakes are going to happen but you’ll learn to move on. Always remember: Cool guys don’t look at explosions, the flames are hot, but their heart is chilled.

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