Less and less college students are graduating in four years, meaning this winter could see a lot of new members of the so-called "real world."
But to adjust from college, which may or may not have actually been the best four years of your life, you will need to change a few certain habits immediately.
According to the Washington Post, students are graduating college in an average of six years mostly due to extraneous non-major course requirement. The extra time in school may be costly, but recent research still maintains that getting a degree is still worth the investment.
But to make it in your respective career, there are some things you may have been accustomed to in college that will only hinder you as a professional.
1. Sleep schedule
No more staying up late to roll out of bed 15 minutes before your 9 a.m. class. In most career fields, you will need a full night of rest and ample time in the morning to consume a healthy breakfast.
Researchers at Aberdeen University believe there is valid reason why breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day. Daniel Crabtree, the lead author of an upcoming study, told the Aberdeen Press and Journal that breakfast leads to food decisions later in the day. For example, he said, a healthy breakfast will lead to a healthy lunch.
2. Eating habits
Sleeping habits go hand in hand with eating habits. Waking up late may influence you to grab something on the go or skip breakfast altogether. Crabtree said that skipping breakfast can influence unhealthy food choices later in the day.
It is also a bad idea to rely solely on caffeinated beverages to get through that 2 p.m. drag. Eating healthy and fully (but not overfilling) will help you work efficiently throughout he day. A 9-5 work day is a lot different than an irregular class schedule.
3. Time management
In college, assignments and tests end with the semester and eventually with graduation. In the real world, a career lasts until your retirement fund is sufficiently beefed up. Time management plays such a huge role in the quality of your work and thinking about the big picture of a career can be overwhelming.
In college, poor time management could be overcome by cramming and study sessions, but that does not exist in the work force, for the most part.
Budgeting time is both a small- and large-scale task. You need to give yourself time during the day to complete your tasks and getting ahead will do wonders come Friday. You will also need to learn to manage vacation and sick days, which may not exactly be abundant early on.
