By Victoria Knepp, Account Associate

The day you walk across that stage in that really odd robe and square hat is an exciting one… You are finally done with school forever! You celebrate being done with homework, tests and all-nighters. But, you realize the one thing you’ve been fearing all along is finally upon you… the real world.

Now, most people get some time to let this settle in and come to terms with it. I on the other hand, dove headfirst into the vast unknown of the real world two days after I graduated. Two. Days. Trust me, I was dreading the monotonous nine-to-five and had all these grandiose expectations. But, after only a little over a month in the marketing communications field, I’ve grown fond of this big scary thing and here’s why:

1. People trust you.

After a month here, I got keys to the office. Keys! Not that I was thinking of channeling my inner Aaron Carter, but it was nice to be trusted. After years of parent notes, doctor slips, and all those excuses for school, it is refreshing to have someone give you a physical representation of their trust. Speaking of doctors notes, recently I got sick. I emailed my boss and said I wasn’t feeling well and that was that. I kept up with my work and she told me to rest up and feel better – no expectation of a doctor’s note. Now, these may seem like such minor acts, but it makes a world of difference knowing the people around you trust you.

2. No one holds your hand for you.

You get real responsibility. You get projects and creative ownership of them. You don’t have to follow a set of guidelines that you’ll get graded on. Especially in the communications field, you get to work with real clients on tangible projects you will see completed in this real world we’re living in, not just a checkmark on Blackboard.

3. You don’t have homework anymore.

You get home from work and it is YOUR time. All yours. No more squeezing in that five page paper after your classes, club meeting and work shift. You can go for a run, do some yoga, cook a nice meal, watch a movie and do whatever you want. In this big old place we call the “real world” you get to decide where your passions are and what kinds of things you want to invest your time in outside of work.

4. You’re doing what you want.

As you go through school you have to take all those general education courses along with your major specific classes. Now you get to go to work every day and do what you chose to do. You are working in the field you are interested in growing into and what you enjoy doing.

5. You grow up.

Here at Rasor Marketing Communications, I work with 14 other women who have different and more experience in the marketing field and I have the privilege to learn from them. Not only am I learning skills I need in the workplace, I’m learning from their life experiences too. People say you start at the bottom, which is true, but I like it here. No matter where I go I will work with knowledgeable people who are teamed up based on what they bring to the table instead of those dreaded assigned group projects… because no one likes those.

Yes, there’s the money, the happy hours, the clean “not-college houses” too, but these are definitely the top five, and I think the list is endless. So take it from me, the girl who had no time to realize what was over and what was starting: the real world isn’t so bad after all.