People Open Up About The Adulting Problems That Nobody Set Them Up To Deal With Properly In The Real World
Moving on from high school or college and entering the “real world” is often a daunting experience.
For the entirety of your adolescent life, each school you attended and the guardians who parented you provided some sort of structure and expectation basis. Afterward, you may feel lost and unsure of how to move forward on your own.
Moreover, today’s “real world” is much different than when older generations emerged from childhood.
According to a Pew Research Center study conducted in 2021, over seventy percent of U.S. adults believe that “young adults today have a harder time than their parents’ generation when it comes to saving for the future, paying for college, and buying a home.” Tack on heightened social disconnect and young adults can feel completely alone.
That is why one Reddit user wanted to learn from the adults who have already gone through this. They asked the online community to share the adult problems that no one had prepared them for.
Lack of purpose and end dates.
“Throughout your young life, you are given a purpose of passing exams and learning. Then, all of a sudden, you are thrown into the world and told to find your own meaning.”
“Along with that, the lack of end dates. In primary school, high school, and university, your time is constantly segmented by terms, semesters, and school years. These all determine when you can have a break and move on.”
Drobot Dean – stock.adobe.com
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“Then, you are an adult in your first permanent job or long-term partnership. You have to grapple with the realization that the only way they end is if you end it or they do.”
“Going from basically everything having a natural end to something being for the rest of your life is overwhelming, in my opinion.”
You can stay up as late as you want. But, you probably shouldn’t.
“I am in my mid-twenties, and I struggle severely with this issue. I have always been a night owl, and, now that I work and face so many responsibilities during the day, I cherish my relaxation time at the end of the day to play video games or watch tv.”
“It is such a challenge to end that time and admit that the next thing you will do is face responsibilities again in the morning.”
Networking for jobs is pertinent.
“My parents have had the same jobs since I was born. So, I never saw them– or anyone else– look for one that was not a temporary job for a college student.”
“I just thought that hard work would basically show employers that I was worth hiring. But, despite burning myself out, I still lost out to people with half of my ability simply because they were more sociable.”
“This was baffling to me for a long time.”
Getting burnt out.
“I had no idea that burnout could be so intense. I was completely dismissive about the concept and thought that people were exaggerating.”
“Then, I got so burnt out that I began to have heart palpitations. They made me feel like I was going to have a heart attack and continued on and off for over a year.”
“I felt dead inside. It was mentally and physically exhausting. It never got better until I got a new job. It is insane how much stress harms your body.”
Handling the decline and death of your parents.
“This began to hit me really hard over the last year. For my birthday last year, I decided to go to the small town that my mom is from.”
“My mom, her boyfriend, and my sister accompanied my husband and me. It is near a big lake, so there are sand dunes nearby. We often went when I was a kid, so I thought it would be fun to revisit them now.”
“My sister, husband, and I had no trouble climbing the dunes. My mom, on the other hand, could not make it at all– even with her boyfriend helping her.”
“She smiled and laughed it off, suggesting that she walk around to meet us on the other side. It killed me because when we were kids, my mom was dragging us up the dunes. It was my grandma who could not make it at that time. Suddenly, my mom was in the same position as my grandma, who passed a long time ago.”
“I began to see her a lot differently after that. When I was a kid, she seemed invincible. Now? She is aging and slowing down. She told me this is just the way of life and that I should not be sad since she has enjoyed her life.”
“But, I am definitely more aware of her health problems and general condition. it destroys me seeing her grow older like this.”
Friends come and go.
“Almost all of your friends will not be lifelong. No one really talks about how common it is to lose touch with people and grow apart. Most of your life will be spent making new friends while losing old ones.”
–Emotional_tale1044
“Losing friends is part of life. But, as I get older, I find myself less interested in other people and find it more difficult to make new friends.”
Imposter Syndrome
“Suffering from imposter syndrome, and then realizing that every expert or professional you have trusted likely also has imposter syndrome. They probably know much less than you think they do.”
“This became very apparent to me during the pandemic when I realized that our governments and medical professionals do not have all the answers. We are all just figuring things out as we go.”
Do you have any advice for the younger generation now entering adulthood? Do you wish you had known about anything else?
To read the complete Reddit thread, visit the link here.
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