^ thanks for fucking shit up

12/19/2005 3:52:12 PM

Quote :

"^must be some sort of complex, there. all that advice is basically, "settle in to a mid-life rut as soon as possible""

And what do you do for a living? I'm being realistic. My advice is coming from experience. I am not saying anything to suggest you to settle in a "mid-life rut". I am just saying to get the hell out of Raleigh, save up, don't be an asshole, get a graduate degree, and don't fuck up your job and reputation. And when I say don't lurk around the college scene, I am just suggesting to move on... and that doesn't mean you can't go out!

[Edited on December 21, 2005 at 1:57 AM. Reason : :]

12/21/2005 1:43:23 AM

Yeah, I seriously did not go to bars or parties until I was out of college. I don't regret not partying during college, I just didn't get my social butterfly wings or whatever until way after I graduated (like, almost two years after I graduated).
But yes, YES, get out of Raleigh. Get out of NC. There's so much stuff to see out there.

12/21/2005 4:12:42 AM

sobers must insightful contributions to this site to date are on page 1

bravo, dont sell out

12/22/2005 3:49:29 PM

bttt

12/22/2007 6:40:02 AM

1.) Find a job you don't want to retire from and be all you can be.
2.) Find a woman who shares your life goals and cooks delicious food.
3.) An old car that runs is the same as new one that runs pretty much.
4.) Don't trust mechanics and never let anybody sell you anything, salespeople cannot be trusted.
5.) Have kids early, way more interesting than material goods or any amount of travel.

12/22/2007 5:08:28 PM

Quote :

"My list: 1. Don't allow a car to control your finances. If you have to finance a car it shouldn't be too expensive and be prepared to pay cash for the next car that you buy. 2. Buy a house, but don't be "house poor." 3. Skip the Angus Barn dinners and travel on the weekends with the money you save. I can't think of a single meal that brings back better memories than any of the weekend lake/beach/ATV/snowboarding/etc trips that I've taken over the last 5 years. A cheap hotel can almost always be had for less than $30 a person. 4. When you ride in someone else's car/boat/plane/etc. don't be stingy with the gas money. What is an extra $20 when you aren't the one paying for the $50k boat? It is a good way to make sure you get to enjoy it again someday. 5. Help your friends move whenever you are available. You'll be glad when it becomes your turn to ask for help. Go..."

number 1 ok, but I got a loan for my car now and I plan on getting a 10k loan for my future car(helps with credit report even if you can pay it all in cash, which I could)

2)buy a house??? first find a JOB.....and dont buy one until you know you will be in the area for awhile...and with this market, it will not bottom out until late 2008 which means you can get even better deals if you wait 6-8 months. Everybody seems to rush to buy a house....I know if I would of done this my career advancement would of been MUCH slower. You could rent the place but what if you have to move for VA to TX in 2 weeks?

3) ugh, ok?

4)if i was riding in a persons plane, I wouldnt expect to contribute to the gass bill...$20 wouldnt cover that.

5)ugh, ok?

12/23/2007 12:10:57 AM

1) figure out your finances and don't live above your means - look all the other responses for advice pertaining this (i've done/am doing/wish I had done earlier almost all of it and it feels GOOD to be in control, not living paycheck-to-paycheck)
2) don't be afraid to screw up - whether this be in your personal life, or at work. I'm not saying go out and TRY to scew up, but if you come up against something you've not encountered before, give it your best, and don't let your fear of "screwing up" stop you from at least trying. In my experience, it's proven better to try and ask questions along the way than hang back and seem too timid to try and grow...
3) think about what really makes you happy in life, and follow that path.
4) SEE THE WORLD
5) Act like an adult - and learn about those "boring things" like taxes, insurance rates, retirement, etc. - you've gone to college and graduated, now you're in the "real world" - so act like it. Take resonsibility for yourself and if you haven't already, grow up enough to do so!

12/23/2007 1:10:01 AM

Eugh, so much bad advice in this thread, but luckily sober pointed out most of it

Your 5-minute guide to money in your 20s

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/CollegeAndFamily/MoneyInYour20s/Your5MinuteGuideToMoneyInYour20s.aspx

12/24/2007 2:50:15 PM

get a subscription to money magazine and read it
max out your 401k
max out your roth ira
take a cool vacation
buy your parents a sweet christmas gift you couldn't afford as a college student

12/25/2007 5:20:47 PM

Quote :

"5.) Have kids early, way more interesting than material goods or any amount of travel. "

Before and after our vacation to Italy and Greece we had quite a number of people telling us that we were lucky not to have kids. Not everyone we know who has kids was telling us that, and there were plenty of childfree people saying, "Oh man, I wish I could go to Europe." But for all the people who are totally weirded out by the fact that we don't have any children, it was certainly surprising to hear the ones that feel like we're lucky to be able to do what we want.

12/25/2007 10:54:12 PM

^^you're all about them benjimens

1) dont get FAT if you're not already
2) go to clubs once in a while and dont forget how to dance
3) avoid debt like its the plague, once you're in debt you'll be a slave
4) call your family often, even when nothing is going on
5) always take time in your day to think

12/26/2007 1:55:01 AM

Quote :

"Buy a home in a white neighborhood. If you suspect the area will be "declining" anytime soon, don't waste your money. "

Yeah the last thing you wanna do is stay near some brown people.

12/26/2007 3:07:53 PM

1. network. keep in touch with everyone and try to meet as many people as possible, personal and professional.
2. treat yourself every now and then. if you have a bad day at work, splurge, this can help you keep a good balance.
3. find something you can do with your coworkers. we've all started mountain biking. it's fun to hang out and do something fun that doesn't involve or discuss anything going on in the office.
4. tell the people you care about that you love them often. moms and girlfriends will worry if they don't talk to you on a regular schedule and sometimes it's impossible with work. telling the people you love that you love them can go a long way.
5. take advantage of all of your opportunities. if you get a foot in the door, don't blow it...work your tail off and it will take you places. likewise, if you can afford to make a nice investment (like a house), do it.

12/26/2007 3:19:39 PM

Quote :

"^must be some sort of complex, there. all that advice is basically, "settle in to a mid-life rut as soon as possible""

haha day 1 after college

12/26/2007 3:19:47 PM

interesting to read what i posted 2 years ago.

12/26/2007 5:12:40 PM

I still stand by this

Quote :

"must be some sort of complex, there. all that advice is basically, "settle in to a mid-life rut as soon as possible"

12/26/2007 5:58:59 PM

^^ Same here. I still agree with my original post although I haven't exactly followed it.

12/27/2007 12:05:27 AM

1) Find a way to make yourself worth more than Joe 1 and Joe 2 and make it known to your boss. You always want political equity with your boss.
2) Be tactful in how you criticize someone else's work. Make sure to compliment them first.
3) Just because you are now making X amount of money doesn't mean you aren't worth more or less. Try to find out what the going rate for what you're doing is even if you are entry level. If you low ball yourself you'll feel like are you are being taken advantage of.
4) When it comes to money if you ask for an amount and the response you get is, "oh yeah that's no problem", then you should have asked for more. Always get a salary range for the position before you tell them what you want.
5) Don't sacrifice your wants and desires in life for someone else right out of the gate. Take the time to enjoy what you've accomplished. Don't rush into supporting your teacher girlfriend/boyfriend just because you make more money--this will just build resentment. Go to Vegas, see friends that moved to Europe or whatever it is that gets your blood flowing.

[Edited on December 27, 2007 at 11:12 AM. Reason : a]

12/27/2007 11:12:33 AM

1. Drop off resumes in person... look nice when you do it. It will separated you from most of our PC Nursed generation.
2. Buy a house near where you work gas is expensive and avoiding the frustration of traffic is priceless.
3. If you live near work, go home for lunch it splits up your day allows you to relax.
4. Learn to cook, eating out all the time is expensive and/or bad for you don't do it.
5. Make sure you settle down with the right person remember the divorce rate is around 50% now and it isn't cheap.

12/27/2007 11:47:23 AM

I wish I had been more involved with volunteer organizations...
- You can get good experience to build your resume. It can help break the cycle of not being hired because you don't have experience and not having experience because you can't get hired.
- Networking. I'm finding more and more that the people with jobs that I want are involved in some sort of charity organizations. Volunteering not only puts you in contact with those people, but it also gives you a common interest to discuss when you meet these people in other settings.
- It's a good thing to do. If you can't donate money you can donate time which has value.


Another tip...Be interesting. Nobody wants to listen to you complain about how lame your life has become since college. Nobody cares that you cooked a roast and sat around the house all weekend. Eventually people will just stop asking. Take spur of the moment road trips. Camp out. Try new things. Do dangerous stuff. Break bones. Smash your head in surf that you should have never been in to begin with. Binge drink. Meet cool people. Take lots of pictures. Share stories when appropriate.

12/27/2007 12:47:52 PM

^

That's not for everyone. A lot of people are content with just being boring and taking their one trip a year to Disney World. TV wouldn't be a multi-billion dollar industry if they weren't.

However I'll be in Switzerland, Malaysia, and Norway this summer jumping off some 2000 ft cliffs and 1000 ft buildings. Also cooking a roast can be exciting as well.

[Edited on December 27, 2007 at 1:12 PM. Reason : a]

12/27/2007 1:07:08 PM

When did you start BASE again???

12/27/2007 1:45:14 PM

Most of these things listed in this thread you shoulda been thinking about before you graduated.

Don't loose focus on whats really important to you. Thats the biggest thing people do after graduation.

1/3/2008 1:21:24 PM

Quote :

"Another tip...Be interesting. Nobody wants to listen to you complain about how lame your life has become since college. Nobody cares that you cooked a roast and sat around the house all weekend. Eventually people will just stop asking. Take spur of the moment road trips. Camp out. Try new things. Do dangerous stuff. Break bones. Smash your head in surf that you should have never been in to begin with. Binge drink. Meet cool people. Take lots of pictures. Share stories when appropriate. "

very true.


just enjoy your youth. being young is something you'll never get twice and some things you'll never be able to do again.

make the most of your weekends.

1/3/2008 5:32:04 PM