60 Things I've Learned in the Six Months I've Worked in the "Real World"

My first day and first selfie on the job on May 11, 2015.

Today marks six months since I started my first full-time, adult, "real world" job. May 11 was my first day as a journalist at Tri-County Times in Fenton, a small-town newspaper that still prints the news. 

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I've learned a lot in the past 184 days and I was thinking about coming up with 184 bits of knowledge, but that's way too much.  

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Instead, here's 60 things I've learned in the sixth months I've worked in the "real world."

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1. Work clothes are stylish and fun to wear, but I miss wearing jeans and graphic tees everyday. Cardigans are your best friend.  
 
2. You can't always be a social justice warrior if you want to have a job and a peaceful working environment. You'll have to let some comments go.  
 
3. You won't have enough time for anything.

4. You'll never get enough sleep. 
 
5. ​Speak louder and better. 
 
6. You'll write sticky notes to yourself one day that you won't understand the next day. You'll also search frantically for a certain sticky note you wrote a week ago. 
  
7. Learn to sell yourself. 
 
8. You'll think you look stupid a lot and smart very little.  
 
9. If you're like me, you're going have about six hobbies, on top of a full time job, and only have time for two each day.  
 
10. You will not sit normally in chairs. That doesn't change.  
 
11. You will appreciate the nice people in this world so much more when you deal with rejection a lot.  
 
12. It's the weirdest thing in the world thinking about who we are as people, and who we are to the world because those people are completely separate. 
 
13. Keep an emergency snack supply at your desk. I recommend Archer Farm trail mix, an apple, tea, and chocolate.  
 
14. Feeling completely satisfied is a myth. If you think you'd be happier having free time than a 9-5 job, then quit your job. But once you do have that free time, you'll wish you had a 9-5 job.  
 
15. A 9-5 job is more like an 8-6 job, considering getting ready and driving to work.  
 
16. Learn how to cook. You deserve good food.  
 
17. Being an adult doesn’t end when you leave work. You have a living space to take care off, dishes to do, bills to pay, and at least one human to take care of (yourself). You also get to do what you want, so it's a fair trade off. 
 
18. Sometimes I think it wonder if it would be better to give the government my first unborn child than pay back student loans.  
 
19. You're capable of doing a lot more than you think, especially with the right tools.  
 
20. Social media isn't only a young person fad. Plenty of adults abuse having access to Facebook and Twitter.  
 
21. Adults are just better at seeming like they know what's going on. Everyone gets lost once in a while. 
 
22. Everything is temporary.  
 
23. Happy hour starts the minute you get home from work, take off your pants, and pour some wine. If you happen to get home around 3 p.m. on Fridays, so be it.  
 
24. Instead of preaching about supporting each other, it's better to not think that we need someone's approval to do what makes us happy.  
 
25. You're not "fully grown" when you're only 21-23. You might still turn into a beautiful butterfly when you're 25 or 26. 
 
26. Knowing big words makes you seem smart, but being able to communicate with anyone of any intelligence level will open more doors.  
 
27. If you're a good friend, you will find good friends.  
 
28. It's perfectly fine to ask for help, and even better to give it. 
 
29. If you go into a field you don't like because it pays nicely, you will hate your life. 
 
30. Striving to get things done will make your work mediocre. Striving to be excellent at your work will make you excellent at what you do. 
 
31. If you have the option of sounding smart and sounding dumb, sound smart. 
 
32. Don't get caught up in workplace drama. 
 
33. Your relationship with your parents will change a lot when you get older, but you'll still call them over the little things. 
 
34. Never let go of your playful self. It's okay to have fun and get work done at the same time.  
 
35. Be unapologetically excited about what you love and never give up on your passions. I've worn my batman earrings to work for the past three months, and I regularly use my Wonder Woman mug.  
 
36. Be unapologetically amazing at what you do. 
 
37. Don't stay hung up on your mistakes. Everyone makes them. 
 
38. A 9-5 job isn't a prison unless you think it is. You can still make the time to do the things you're passionate about if you're passionate enough.  
 
39. Make sure to have at least one hobby where you don't stare at a screen for hours. I recommend at least two hobbies. 
 
40. Make time to workout and then commit. Seriously. It'll make the rest of your life better.  
 
41. Get over your fear of talking on the phone. This unprecedented nervousness is a serious obstacle.  
 
42. Writing things on my hand so I don't forget still works and I will continue to use that method of remembering. 
 
43. Make lists every day. I recommend a minimum of three lists.  
 
44. Money issues suck, but they're better than health issues.  
 
45. You'll understand your parents a lot more once you start working a 9-5 job. 
 
46. KEEP YOUR SOCIAL LIFE. Seriously, this is crucial. Don't forget about your friends. They'll listen to your complaints and help you remember there's more to life than work. 
 
47. It's okay to not do exactly what you want right out of college. First-time jobs are usually stepping stones to a better job.  
 
48. Making assumptions about people only makes you look bad.  
 
49. Complaining makes you look bad. There's a time and place to rant about the things you hate. 
 
50. Always show an genuine interest in other peoples' lives. 
 
51. With your first job, be prepared to not have any days off for a year.
 
52. Make sure you decompress everyday and find activities to relieve stress. I recommend wine.  
 
53. Wine is your friend and food. 
 
54. Do not complain about work on social media. I guarantee a few of your colleagues stalk your profile.  
 
55. Don't discredit someone's opinion just because you don't agree with them. 
 
56. Your opinion doesn't always matter. 
 
57. Pay strict attention to the details of your job. Details can be the stable foundation to a productive workplace.  
 
58. Learn to be a good listener. 
 
59. Don't think "I can finally be happy when the weekend gets here." Instead, think "I can be happy now." 
 
60. There's more to life than work.