Essential Adulting 101 Tips For College Students

College can be an exciting time for young adults, but also overwhelming as you enter the real world. Managing student loans, a credit card balance, and juggling school and life is hard. Learning these skills early on will help you succeed later. That’s where Adulting Starts Here comes into play and particularly this specific blog post. In today’s article, we will be sharing essential life skills that will give you a foundation upon which to start building your adult life.

This guide should be helpful to you if you decide to pursue higher education or head straight into the workforce for the first time. The basic life skills are the same and they are important. So let’s get started!

Create A Simple Budget That Fits Your Personal Life

Start by carefully tracking all of your income sources, such as part-time jobs, work-study programs, and any relevant scholarships or grants. Be sure to also factor in your student debt payments, tuition, and fees, as well as your regular expenses for things like groceries, housing, and utilities.

Creating a comprehensive budget will help you stay on top of your finances and make informed decisions about your money throughout your college experience.

If you are looking for a basic excel type budgeting method, I have a FREE excel budget that you can use. Just fill out the form below and you will get it sent straight to your email!

Build A Savings Habit

Saving money is critical, even if you have limited income as a student. Opening a savings account and managing bank accounts properly is an excellent way to start building your financial literacy. You can get started with your local credit union or even make use of some of the great online savings accounts that are around today.

Just remember that even small amounts saved regularly can make a big difference, especially as young people with time on our side.

Read More: How To Build An Emergency Fund

Build Your Credit Score

You have probably heard about credit scores and the importance of maintaining a good one. If you have not, that is okay and you are in the right place to start your learning journey. I am linking a video below that introduces the basics of a credit score. Be sure to check it out. We don’t want anyone getting themselves into trouble with that American Express credit card.

Time Management: Balancing School, Work, And A Social Life

We are no longer high school students and therefore the basic skills of living are ours to figure out now. Yes, your journey will be different from my journey, but the foundational elements are all really the same. That is part of the reason why Adulting Starts Here is a thing in the first place.

Regardless though, many young people (myself included) often struggle to balance those demanding credit hours and internships while nurturing healthy relationships with our best friends and family. It is tough, but it is doable. You just have to invest in improving your communication skills and practicing good time management.

Time management tricks like the Pomodoro Technique are powerful methods to channel your focus and get things done as an independent adult. Take the time to learn how to get organized and employ the rule of thumb that good time management leads to good work.

Use Technology To Get And Stay Organized

We are in the age of technology. When it comes to resources and learning we have things like on-demand training, interactive online training, and a slew of live webinars that we could join all at our fingertips. This is definitely different from the most previous generation of new adults.

Now the quality and ease of access to such options are debatable, but they are out there. Regardless though, it is in your personal interest to develop your own “personal dashboard” – that is to say determine what apps and resources are most helpful to you in managing your life.

Developing your personal dashboard will help you better keep track of assignments, deadlines, and upcoming events as you continue to transition into adulthood. A personal dashboard can be tailored to focus on just the essential life skills like budgeting and banking. You can have one focused on your professional life, mental health, and really whatever you determine is important in your life. 

For example, I maintain an overall personal dashboard that consists of my banking apps, Meditation app, workout app, and a language learning app. These are the things most important to me and they help me stay organized in numerous ways. Remember as young adults, we are in a unique transition phase. So don’t feel that you have to have everything figured out. The real world is a lot of learning as you go.

Promote Basic Physical Wellness

Practicing those essential life skills like cooking simple meals and shopping at the grocery store on a budget is a real challenge, especially when having to do it for the first time. However, they are a critical component of overall health and well-being. Now, you don’t have to shop on a budget but who wants credit card debt? Plus, I’d argue that too much debt can negatively affect your physical and mental health.

Nevertheless, it is important to eat well and stay active. Make time to exercise consistently. You don’t have to spend big money on a yearly membership at a gym or anything like that. Taking walks and doing bodyweight workouts can be extremely effective at building muscle, promoting mobility, and generally keeping the body young. 

Don’t Overlook Your Mental Health

Just as your physical health is important, your mental health is just as important. Balancing the demands of school with other responsibilities can be stressful and at times defeating. However, as it pertains to school, you can make use of flexible tutor programs and tutoring center teams on campus that can help you stay on track. If you aren’t sure if your school offers such resources, reach out to your college administrators and inquire.

You might be surprised that some schools have started offering live training sessions and a series of workshops to help their students. Of course, if you ever feel that you need professional help, please seek it. Your school should have staff members who can guide you through that process.

Read More: How To Get Comfortable Living Alone

Building Career Skills for the Future

As you pursue your career goals, take advantage of the innovative educators who work at your institution. You might have an entire faculty that could serve as mentors – professors in your major to advisors in career services.

Whether you’re at a community college, technical school, or a more traditional four-year institution, the skills you learn and the people you meet will be crucial as you determine your career path and potential pathway toward eventual career advancement. 

Read More: 105 Career Development Questions to Ask Your Manager

Prioritize Healthy Relationships and Communication

Transitioning to college signifies a significant time of personal growth, and nurturing strong relationships is key to your well-being. That means taking time to connect and grow with your family, best friends, and romantic partners. As young adults, it’s easy to say ” I will get to it later”, however later can come much sooner than we think and we might end up being too late. Don’t overlook your loved ones. 

Read More: How To Promote Interpersonal Relationships

Managing the Daily Responsibilities

Last but not least is being sure to manage the daily responsibilities that come with being a young adult. This includes handling chores, developing cleaning schedules, making appointments, and everything else involved in maintaining an independent life. Having a grasp on basic life skills will make your transition into the real world that much easier. Learn them and learn them well.

If you don’t know anything, use Adulting Starts Here as a starting point. There is a ton of information on the site geared towards young adults and how to enter the real world for the first time. 

Putting It All Together

Learning to “adult” is no small task, but this guide is here to make it feel manageable and, at a minimum, offer a starting point in your learning journey. By taking on the real-world challenges of adulting step-by-step, you’ll gain greater understanding, confidence, and thereby independence as you transition into adulthood.

Think of this post as your ultimate guide to getting started at making adulting feel less daunting – your first major step toward thriving as an independent adult. Be sure to check out our Education and Working sections to read more articles on the topic of adulting 101!