Top 5 Reasons Graduating University Is So Difficult

College is such an exciting time in our lives. We're making new friends, figuring out new interests, learning about things we're passionate about and most importantly, we're discovering ourselves. 

Between having your heartbroken for the first time, acing the exam you studied so hard for, or experiencing nightlife with your best friends, there are a ton of ups and downs. University is a whirlwind of emotions and experiences that you will remember for the rest of your life. So, when it comes time for you to leave school, the transition can be incredibly difficult.

The past four years may have been a roller coaster ride but at least you had a plan and at least things tended to be consistent. You knew where you were living, you had a set group of friends and you had a daily routine. When we leave school all those consistencies leave us, as well.

Here are my top 5 reasons that make leaving university so hard:

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1. Consistency

I mentioned this briefly, but this is a major factor. When you leave school, you often have to go home and take some time before you have a set plan of what you're going to do with your life. Not everyone can or wants to find a job immediately upon graduating and this is completely o.k. The upside of a job is that it will give you back a daily routine, not to mention some financial support. 

However, for many people it takes a while before they know what job they want or what city they want to be in but before we have this all figured out, it's pretty scary. Not having a set itinerary for what's going to happen to you can be unnerving.

2. Friends

Your friends will always be your friends but it's going to get harder when you all don't live in the same city, let alone 5 minutes from each other. You will have to plan visits once or twice a year and this definitely shakes up the way your social circle used to work.

Additionally, you'll probably have to branch out in order to make new friends. You're in a new place at a new job, and you can't expect to have that same group of friends that you did in college. You're all experiencing different settings and circumstances. However, making new friends is hard. If you don't click with someone at work or maybe you're a little shy, getting yourself out there to meet people can definitely be a struggle.

3. Finances

Once you're out on your own, most of you (not all) will be financially responsible for yourselves. Remember the days when funds were running low and you could text mom or dad to add some more to your account? Those days are over. 

You have a job now and are expected to learn how to manage your money. You have to figure out how to pay rent, utilities, groceries and then find some left to save.

4. Cooking

Ah, the days of ramen noodles and pb & j sandwiches for dinner are over or at least I hope for your body's sake. We can no longer justify eating super badly. Also, the dining hall is no longer an option. I know how great the convenience of it was, but unfortunately most of us won't have a live-in chef at this point in our lives. You have a working mind and body that needs actual nourishment so learning to cook for yourself is key.

On the bright side, cooking for yourself ends up saving money in the long run. Ordering in or going out to eat gets pretty expensive if you do it all the time, and when you cook for yourself, you get to pick the money and decide what you want. You have an opportunity to get very creative here.

5. Self-Dependency

College kind of prepares you for this but it's more of something that you learn rather than something you can be taught. Leaving university means learning to be dependent on yourself. Similarly to what I mentioned above, there are a ton of new daily aspects that we have to depend on ourselves for. Whether it's learning how to live alone, taking care of a pet, creating a budget or making sure you're eating healthy, we are responsible for that. 

We can no longer expect people to remind us or baby us into taking care of ourselves and our lives. All of these aspects are definitely hard to transition into but with due time, you will adjust.