10 Things You Suddenly Start Caring About Once You Graduate College
1. Breakfast
“Having a morning” used to be something reserved for 47 year-old women who wear visors and go on walks. But the moment we leave college, we begin to see the light–the light of #SunRiseLife.
Getting everything done in the AM will do wonders for overall self-esteem, and will enable you to walk around all day saying the word “productive” every other sentence. A wonderful feeling, and it all starts with a few pieces of toast and jelly.
2. Listening To Podcasts/Radio Shows
Two years back, a strange set of circumstances had my roommate’s older brother, a first year postgrad, drop me, a senior in college, off at an internship on his way to work. The car ride was about an hour long, and given the hardcore commute-esque nature of the trip, we talked about the Z-man’s recent transition to the postgraduate sphere. Among other things, the big bad Z talked about how having a good talk show had become increasingly crucial, and did wonders in terms of helping him survive the day.
At the time, I found the statement a slightly horrifying summation of what was to come. Now, I can’t stop listening to WTF with Marc Maron.
3. Clean Kitchen/Vacuuming
Especially in college houses inhabited by party-happy males, cleaning was vastly overrated. But in postgrad life, all the rage is to be better than you currently are. The second commandment of #selfimprovement is “thou shalt compose a proper spotify playlist designed specifically for house-wide cleaning.”
(The first commandment is “thou shalt spread thy self-improvement gospel incessantly on social media.”)
4. Reading For Pleasure
The great Pat Stansik video I’m 24 tackles this issue nicely. Sometimes the soulless, overly monotonous tasks we do in order to acquire currency result in a sudden craving for intellectual stimulation. Books magically become interesting.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqcfA3mCKPI&w=584&h=390]
5. Documentaries
Similar thought process to the last item, though these are what happens instead of hitting up the bar every weekend night. A documentary gives you culturally credible material to discuss and treat as your own for months at a time. Best bet is to venture as deep into Netflix as possible.
6. Telling other People About You Hangover
Whereas college kids like to talk about how drunk they got the night before, college graduates like to talk about how terrible they’re feeling right now. Whilst embarking on item number four, I once learned that those who exaggerated their alcohol intake as an undergrad will apply that same thinking to the postgraduate hangover.
7. Investing
This is important. While some of us still don’t know what the Dow Jones is, investing properly helps us purchase homes, travel, and pay for our children’s colleges. If done right, investing changes your life. If done wrong, investing changes your life. #Investments! #Business!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQWAsWmBRF4&w=584&h=390]
8. Wine and Cheese
Ain’t nothing better than putting on a nice button down, gathering around a table, and asking the most sophisticated of the bunch where the cheese on the left is from.
9. Me Time
Humans, especially those who’ve been fortunate enough to attend college, have always had an irrational obsession with me-time. The difference now is that it’s INCREDIBLY more scarce. The postgrad must guard his me-time with the ferocity of an animal currently being described on National Geographic.
10. Getting Enough (Proper) Sleep
Crashing on a friend’s floor used to be a no-brainer. Now, the very prospect sends chills down your “I definitely need to go see a chiropractor” spine.
When visiting other cities, the big bad H word (and the $100 a night suite options) sound like an increasingly more pleasant option. Obviously, this is all kinds of despicable, and if your 19 year-old self got wind of this, he/she would understandably disown you. But there will come a time where it must be done. Sad face. 
