How was your first year in the "real" world?

After school or college. That first year of full time work.
I discovered how unprepared I was for reality. Way too soft. Way too idealistic. I was living in a mental fairyland, whilst the reality challenged me to choose a more practical path.
It took me 3 years to become more practical. But even then I really struggled with commonsense decisions.
The real world is tough and I'm usually not tough enough to thrive. A few of my siblings thrived. They were naturally pragmatic thinkers. And so tough.
Are you tough enough?
They wanted me to go and teach kids again, but I said no, no, no. .,....

I think the first year of marriage too can be huge shock but I found it much easier than work. Maybe because I was older. 33.

Want me to go back to teaching but I said
no, no, no..........

humble soul said:

After school or college. That first year of full time work.
I discovered how unprepared I was for reality.

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Schools prepare students by giving the students the routine of a start and finish time.

humble soul said:

After school or college. That first year of full time work.
I discovered how unprepared I was for reality. Way too soft. Way too idealistic. I was living in a mental fairyland, whilst the reality challenged me to choose a more practical path.
It took me 3 years to become more practical. But even then I really struggled with commonsense decisions.
The real world is tough and I'm usually not tough enough to thrive. A few of my siblings thrived. They were naturally pragmatic thinkers. And so tough.
Are you tough enough?
They wanted me to go and teach kids again, but I said no, no, no. .,....

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I don't believe it's good to be "tough enough".
I get by just fine being nice to people.
Parents these days teach their kids to be tough.
We're getting a society where everyone thinks only about themselves
and I feel like a community feeling is disappearing -not so much where I live but
in the bigger communities.

I think children should be taught to be well-mannered, obedient to the laws of the land,
and generally to have respect for others.

I'm not saying I'm perfect or that children should be...
but this, I think, should be the goal.

Ditto for my work experience....
same as above.

Most people study and learn a specific skill then they use there skill to work for someone else to make them rich.

kiwidan said:

Most people study and learn a specific skill then they use there skill to work for someone else to make them rich. Like a billionaire has 1000 skilled staff working under them where they would not even know how to do the job themselves yet they get the reward and own 100 houses and a super yacht.

I mean get a job and career just to build someone elses empire and get a wage/ salary and pay a mortgage. If you work for this or that well established company your doing well type of thing.

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Be self employed then young man.

Also you forget how much stress there is running a business. Paying, managing, organising, disciplining, dealing with changes in the economy like covid.

humble soul said:

Also you forget how much stress there is running a business. Paying, managing, organising, disciplining, dealing with changes in the economy like covid.

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And people who dont run a business are not stressed?.

ugh. never could really handle "the real world," it seems. age 16, I managed to graduate HS, 1 year early. truth? apparently, if I hadn't gotten out, I would have been expelled. was I that terrible, etc.? nope. just...a mixed up, stressed out, flamboyantly gay teenager headed for disaster. and then...

age 17, I was driven out of the dorms. true story. I thought I was hearing voices, which predictably led me to psychiatry, which....destroyed me, and I think that was fairly predictable, too. and then...

age 28, Jesus made Himself known to me, at least enough for me to come to my senses and repent and beg forgiveness. I didn't see it then, but....especially in "The Bible Belt," that was predictable, too, given the circumstances. and now...

a bit over 8 years in, I am somehow remarkably healthy, surprisingly intelligent, reconciled to my parents and living a decent, modest lifestyle. I think+believe this is God's work in my life, a real life miracle for me and I think my parents, too. and...

predictably, the surrounding community, the former "friends" and class mates and professors and psychiatrists, etc. are not so happy about this situation. :-( oh well.

so, yeah. "real world..." honestly, I think the "real world" is becoming more and more hard and hardening every single day. no sense of the common good in today's society, as wondering pointed out. the other thing?

no one cares about anyone else unless there is some sort of profit involved. my family situation is an exception to the rule. I messed up, shrinks ripped us all to shreds, Jesus brought deliverance, and...

they care for and about me, I love them, and by some miracle they ended up with big time promotions and such. --this is not how the 21st century real world works--

most people...it seems...teach their kids to stomp on those beneath then and play nice with those above them (while hating them inwardly and plotting against them). those on their own level, more or less, are their primary opponents in "the real world." any misstep or misfortune on the other person's part, they'll join in ripping that individual to shreds (I know this, because it happened to me, out in "the real world"-- its crazy how unbelievably cruel some of the most outwardly "progressive" individuals really are).

I dunno. glad I don't have kids, I'll put it that way. also blessed that The Lord made a way for my parents and me to reconciled and be a family. and...

maybe its my corner of USA? everyone seems so hardened, so angry, so bitter and mean....at all strata? some occasional exceptions, here and there...but I dunno, I kind of think even alot of those people may be a bit more mellow, but mostly the same.

my parents are different. maybe its because I'm their only child? they are -wonderful- people. and me? never could really cut in "the real world," I'm afraid. now, it seems that I was "supposed to go to juvenile detention" and "would not shut up in middle school" (in my psych records, true story), so I'm kind of thinking...

maybe Jesus spared me and my parents because He has a work for us? or maybe its just...because He is Good and He is Love, and the "the real world" is just...

no place for me. lol.

Many people care too much about what other people think when most people are only thinking about themsleves.

If i look at how many time in life i have failed, so many, and failing only means learning, im amazed at how much i have achieved when i put my mind to it.

I mean it would be cool if i had before and after photos of all my failures in life, like the first time i ever tried cut a pattern when i was like 5 for example and how crooked it was and now how good my cuts are.

Or maybe the first time i tried to skateboard and bailed and got back up and tried again and got back up and tried again and like a year later could land a kickflip down 5 stairs. It was risk and failure but i improved and achieved.

I have had many achievements in life and all through risk and failure.

I always fail, and i can either get back up and try again or i can quit.

kiwidan said:

And people who dont run a business are not stressed?.

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Generally not as much broad stress. More specific stress. I would hate to have my managers job. I could not relax in my free time.

First year paying my own rent . I was first year married doing electronic repair work and traveling with a rock band on the road when I was not repairing electronics .When out on the road I had my wife rob my piggy bank to help us make a payment on the band sound and light equipment . We were making the big bucks , lol !

Back in the day . I am not in photo I am at the soundboard .

hawkman said:

First year paying my own rent . I was first year married doing electronic repair work and traveling with a rock band on the road when I was not repairing electronics .When out on the road I had my wife rob my piggy bank to help us make a payment on the band sound and light equipment . We were making the big bucks , lol !

Back in the day . I am not in photo I am at the soundboard . View attachment 12019

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I knew the wife of one of the Romones...can't remember which one, I don't think it was a brother...she was a neighbor, she told me everyone thought they had money,,,but they didn't. They were already popular too.

I still live with my mom, so I'm not sure I've entered "the real world" yet. I do have a job, and I do contribute to the bills and household.
I previously had plans to move out, but I think it'd be best for me to stick close to my mom since she's getting older and will need someone to take care of her.

hawkman said:

First year paying my own rent . I was first year married doing electronic repair work and traveling with a rock band on the road when I was not repairing electronics .When out on the road I had my wife rob my piggy bank to help us make a payment on the band sound and light equipment . We were making the big bucks , lol !

Back in the day . I am not in photo I am at the soundboard . View attachment 12019

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Cool. So you were a roadie. What's your fave music to listen to know?

Edit
Know= now

evenifigoalone said:

I still live with my mom, so I'm not sure I've entered "the real world" yet. I do have a job, and I do contribute to the bills and household.
I previously had plans to move out, but I think it'd be best for me to stick close to my mom since she's getting older and will need someone to take care of her.

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I respect you for having the intention to want and look after your mother as shes getting older as some people they dont even live with there elderly parent/s and when they need help and support just throw them in retirement homes for someone else to take care of them.