It’s that time of year again; the class of 2008 will be getting their degrees and going out into the “real world.” To the graduates, congratulations!

After years of hard work and anticipation, you’ve finally made it! Some of you will go right into the workforce, others may take time off to travel. Whatever you’re doing now is completely up to you! Isn’t the freedom exhilarating?

I graduated just over a year ago, and it hasn’t been easy. I would love to tell all of you that once you’ve graduated, life’s a breeze. But alas, that isn’t so. Let’s face it, the majority of us never had anyone to teach us about personal finance and budgeting in the “real world.”

That’s the main reason that I started this site. I had no clue as to what I should do once I graduated, and it cost me a LOT of money. I didn’t have a good paying job lined up, and had no idea where I stood with my student loans. I ended up living off of credit cards for 9 months, and I’m still trying to pay them off. If I can help others my age avoid this type of situation, then I will consider this site to be a success.

So if you’re a recent graduate, go ahead and take a week or two to gather your marbles. But have a plan. If you don’t already have one, make one! I prefer writing my plan out on paper, but if you prefer an electronic budget then Mint is an excellent tool. (Best of all, it’s free!)

Now I want to hear from you. What is your situation? your plan? your worry? You get the point; I want to make this site as active as possible.

Thanks for reading, and welcome to Money After College!

Photo credit: adobemac