Welcome to the Real World Class of 2010!

Picture it! You're sitting in the audience surrounded by your peers and you're listening to the keynote speaker ramble on about how this is the first step in the beginning of your life, blah, blah, blah. You've already stopped listening. You are just waiting for them to shut up so you can get the degree you've worked so hard for over the past four years, go partying, and most importantly collect your graduation presents.

After all the partying and celebration is done and you are back home, you're going to be wondering: "What the heck am I supposed to do now?"

Well, I have some information I want to bring to your attention that you may not have considered.

1.) Remember all those summer, winter, and spring vacations you had? They are over. When you get a job you'll have two weeks. No, to be exact, it'll be 10 business days (15 if you are lucky).

2.) Prepare for your friends from high school to be the same people or totally different. You may find that whether they have or have not changed, you have and you may start reconsidering whether you want to continue to be friends with them.

3.) You are going to have to earn your parents' respect as an adult. Right now, they may still think of you as a child who needs to be told what to do. Don't get angry, they are just stuck in the good ol' days. In some cases, they may never see you in any other way. Talk to them about what you're both expecting now that you have graduated.

4.) Decide what you want and be committed to getting it done.

5.) Don't let others opinions influence what you decide is good for you.

6.) Calculate your total debt, create a budget, pay it all off while simultaneously saving your money. Use budgeting software such as Mint.com.

7.) Take care of your health. You may have been taking your stellar health and physique for granted. Now is the time to keep working on exercising and eating healthier. Once you've lost your health you may never get it back.

8.) Manage your time. Don't try to get everything done for everyone else. Plan out your schedule, be okay with telling people no, and make time to take care and do things that are enjoyable for you.

9.) Don't just sit behind your computer all day and call that a job search. Go out to networking events, join professional organizations in your industry, and volunteer.

10.) Have fun! This is such an amazing and scary part of your life. But think about it, you have a blank canvas and you can paint whatever you want. What life are you going to create?

These are some of my tips on entering the real world. What tips do you have to share with the Class of 2010?

Photo found here.