Graduating from college is a huge accomplishment, but that doesn’t mean everyone who does it is actually prepared to enter the real world. Having that degree opens some doors and opportunities, but it also means having to do a lot of adulting things they may not be ready for yet.
According to a new survey of 2-thousand college grads from the classes of 2024 and 2025:
- Nearly three-quarters (71%) were worried about their next step as they crossed that graduation stage and less than half (42%) felt “very sure” about their future plans.
- Two-thirds (66%) of those who’ve been out of college for a year say their “future roadmap” went as planned.
- But 71% of 2024 grads say the year after graduation was even better than expected.
- When it comes to landing that first real job, there’s one thing that stands out as most stressful: talking salary.
- More than half (54%) of recent grads say it’s more “anxiety-inducing” to negotiate their salary with a potential employer than it is to break up with a new partner.
- Other adulting tasks they struggle with include creating a budget and sticking to it, as only 35% have done it.
- Even fewer have ever written a check (26%) or balanced a checkbook (22%).
- When asked whether filing their taxes or building IKEA furniture is more confusing, 52% said taxes, but 39% went with IKEA assembly.
- But it seems new grads have their priorities in order, with number one on the list being to apply for and get a job in their field (47%).
- Paying off student debt is second (35%), followed by paying their bills every month (33%) and finding an affordable place to live (24%).
Source: Talker