Nobody puts baillee in the corner

My first group of residents is graduating, so I feel old enough to be put in the home. After today, I will no longer be your old RA. I am now your peer, your equal, and also, your guide to some adulthood basics. I have comprised a list of all of the little things I have learned from being out of college for one year. These are in no particular order, so you can take from this what you will. Here is my last piece of RA wisdom for you, and thank you for all of the lessons you taught me ❤

1. It is okay to take money from your parents. Don't be fooled by the idea you have to have all of your finances together. Your parents signed on to take care of you a long time ago, so it is okay to occasionally go to them for some help.

2. If you don't like a job, quit. Trust me, you are too young to cry while rapping Childish Gambino every night on the way home. There are plenty of occupational adventures out there, so don't limit yourself to one you dislike.

3. You will fall in love and fall out of love. You will go on terrible dates. You will try awful dating sites. You will randomly get hit on by creepy guys who probably want to kill you and wear your skin on the way to work. The most important lesson here is to always love yourself first and then go from there.

4. A lot of your friends will start getting married and/or having kids. That does not mean you have to settle for the first person you start dating or look into freezing your eggs. You are still almost a baby yourself. Everyone has a different path, and yours may not start this way. Do not, I repeat, do not let it bother you.

5. It is okay to cry. You might cry because you feel like you don't have your life together. You might cry while watching HSM 3 and remember college memories. You might even cry while simultaneously eating Whataburger. Just know you are not alone, and adulthood can be terrifying.

6. You will lose some friends. Everyone has a different idea of what to do next. Sometimes their plans don't match your plans, and you grow apart or no longer connect. It's okay. Just make sure you smile and wave at them in the grocery store.

6a. It is okay to cut people out of your life. You don't have time for friends who don't care about you or only make time for you when it is convenient for them. It isn't rude; it's growing-up.

6b. Be sure to invest time in the good friendships. Spend as much time as possible talking to and hanging out with the people who are willing to pick you up from work at 1AM or give you free cookie butter when you're having a bad week.

7. It is okay to not have your life together. There is no cut and dry formula for what you should do after you graduate. Some people will start their careers, others will go to grad school. Whatever you choose is awesome. Own it.

8. Bills are the worst. Paying rent, utilities, electric, and all of the "fun" bills, like Netflix and Spotify will sometimes leave you broke. Find other people who are broke and know how to have fun with $5. Some of my favorite nights of the past year have been either totally free or on the cheap side.

9. Speaking of money, there are times you will be broke. You will be between pay checks or jobs. It's okay to still eat Ramen. Think of yourself as Rachel Green. You came from a cushy lifestyle to be thrown into a customer service job. It's a lot more glamorous this way.

10. Live life. Go on random road trips. Take a day by yourself to explore the city. Make a blanket fort in your living room and stay in all night watching awful horror movies. Dye your hair blue. Eat mac and cheese with a friend at 2AM when you have work the next day. Your 20s are essentially a free decade. These are the years you have to explore and really find yourself. Don't let people tell you anything you do is a mistake or a phase. This is your time.

If you've made this far, here are a few more pieces of advice:

-Always keep your HEB coupons.
-If you have to preface drinking with, "I think I can do one more shot," you can't.
-Laugh so hard your stomach and face hurt.
-Buy things for those you love as often as possible.
-Talk to your mom once a day.
P.S. She's always right.
-Spend a day in pajamas at your apartment every few weeks.
-Decorate your apartment for the holidays and keep your childlike holiday spirit alive. It makes working on holidays a lot better.
-Don't wait over three weeks to do laundry.

And finally…

– Fall in love often.Always ask the person you like out. The worst they can say is no, and you never know what will happen.