[LiteratureNerd]

Presumptuous horseshit aside, there is a difference between being a high school student and being a working adult (I will refrain from "the real world," as either side of the coin is someone's reality regardless). For me, the biggest changes out of high school and college were mainly the act of having to actually support myself - paying my own bills, going to work every day, 401K, health insurance, doing my own grocery shopping, etc. It's stuff I'd never really had to deal with before. Oddly enough, I enjoy the independence, even if it could get stressful.

Probably the other huge change was how much bigger the world suddenly got (I spent a couple of years working between college and grad school). High school is a small pond, comparatively speaking. I didn't notice that while I was there, but my world in high school was very small...and probably a lot more structured - you know where you have to be each hour of the day while you're at school. When I was out of school and working, everything just seemed so much "bigger" to me - I wasn't confined in a building full of kids around my age; I was now in a much larger tank with a much larger variety of people to talk to and deal with regularly. It can make you feel very small, but the fact of the matter is, in a world of nearly 7 billion people, you ARE small!



However, people seem to get hung up on the idea that their "smallness" is a bad thing...I don't think it is, really.

Interests-wise? Hrm...I suppose my interests have changed a bit to things that I can apply to my work or to some practical use. At the same time, I've seen my focus in my personal life change from mostly myself to mostly other people. I don't mean that I'm constantly comparing myself to other people (that isn't simply a high school thing - people my age and older do it too...it's an insecurity/maturity thing), but I suppose I should say that I pay closer attention to what they're saying, what they're not saying, how their actions reflect who they are, etc. I didn't do that much in high school - cognitive development-wise, those skills haven't quite solidified yet in adolescence.

High school is a stepping stone, and an important one, and it prepares you for the next stepping stone. And so on. Life changes dramatically after high school is over, but don't worry - it's usually for the better. :)

[Curiously]

in the real world, your credit score matters, so do your best to stay out of debt and pay your bills on time.
other than that, i don't really have much else to offer or advise on because much of everything is trial and error.

[Malovane]

Well, if you're going to college, know that isn't the real world either. But, you'll find that the cliques start fading away a bit as people try to enter a new environment. Many hot shits find out they aren't hot shits after all. At once it's more mature, and sometimes even less so - as young bucks learn the meaning of freedom.

After college you'll get into the real world, where you realize that what you learned in college is absolute crap and you're left with a huge debt and some (hopefully good) memories. There, you'll realize you're totally not special. There, you have to give to society to get back. There, you will fail, and have to pick yourself up. And things start getting good.

[Greyaliens]

I mean this with the utmost respect to my INFJ peers:

IMO, none of the "Real world" shit matters. I mean we live in a world full of Illusory Superioirty. It's all Ass backwards. Just a matter of "how it looks", forever being judged by the outer package and rarely by the contents.

You all know the "Realworld" is nothing more than a high school popularity contest. To be "something in this world" is just a tittle, it doesn't define you.

Just be real & true to yourself, help who you can & choose to help those you wish, for the greater good. I believe this what our Creator expects, and is how we shine, and it's our destiny, as we see the real world in it's actual light, despite what others seem to think... " Gee futureman where's your crystal ball today?...Yeah, ok.)


To me, a roof over my head, a simple job, and a meal every night is enough.

Besides, what do they say about "Needs".... If you don't have it, you don't need it.

[Autumn_tails]

@LiteratureNerd The cognitive development is interesting. I guess I'm just going to have to wait till I'm to fend for myself, and be independent, before I can fully grow. Makes me feel like I'm being impatient to grow up ^^;

@sleepyhead I'm looking forward to University immensely. It was tempting to go this year! Instead, I thought I'd embrace my last year as a highschooler, and enjoy the perks of being part of the seniors in the school. I feel the same way about wanting to get out and do my own thing though. School can feel immensely restrictive at times.

[LiteratureNerd]

Ah, don't worry about being impatient to grow up...I'm still impatient to grow up myself. If you weren't eager to keep moving forward, then I might be a little worried. :)