Millions of college students will be released from their college careers and into the Real World (not the TV show, thankfully). It’s such a promising¹ time. Here are 9 ways to make the most of it.

数以百万的毕业生即将结束他们的大学生涯，步入“现实世界”（注意下，这里可不是为“现实世界”做电视宣传）。这是一个开启希望之途的时刻。这次，送上9种充分利用这一特殊时刻的诀窍。

1. Think Beyond Work.

想想工作以外的事

Your career might be your main focus as you leave college, but remember that work isn’t everything either (and you don’t want to burn out). Go see the world, even on a budget or for free. Go on dates. Keep up your own creative side projects. Challenge yourself to see the world in new ways. (Yes, take the commencement speech to heart.) Life is like a video game, so spend your time and energy in the most important areas.

你的工作或许会成为你毕业后的主要关注焦点，但是请记住，工作并不是一切（而且你也不想把自己弄得筋疲力尽）。有时间出去看看外面的世界，穷游或者免费的游览都可以。去约会，继续你的创意项目，改变你的视角，从新的角度看世界。（是的，用心记住毕业演讲。）生活就像是一场电子游戏，所以你得把你的时间和精力都花在最重要的地方。

2. Prepare for Your First Job

为第一份工作做好准备

You might have held jobs in college, but once you’ve got your diploma in hand, it’s time to completely dive into the work you want to do. Learn how to ace² your job interview and create a great resume. Even though you might not have a ton of relevant work experience to put on the resume, you can still beef up your resume by adding personal projects on it. once you land the job, learn the basics of navigating³ your first job: stay organized and never miss your deadlines, pay attention to the company culture, and more. Don’t get too wooed by your employer, however—remember that the company you work for is not your friend.

你或许在大学时就做过一些工作，但是一旦你获得了文凭，你就完全可以全身心投入到你想要做的工作当中。学习如何在面试中脱颖而出，如何制作好一份简历。即时你的简历上相关的工作经验，但你依旧可以添加一些个人项目来充实你的简历。一旦你得到了这份工作，要记住一些基本要求：有条不紊地开展工作，绝不错过最后期限，注意企业文化等等。别太在老板面前抢风头，但是请记住——你工作的公司，它不是你的朋友。

3. Deal with Those Student Loans

处理好助学贷款

Huge student loan debt can be overwhelming, but there are several ways you can pay it off more easily or even get the loan paid off by your employer. Working in a rural opportunity zone is another option. Missing one student loan payment isn’t the end of the world, but you should be proactive in keeping up with your payments or else your credit can really get ruined and worse.

巨额的助学贷款会压得你喘不过气来，但是有几个方法可以帮助你轻松解决它们或是让你的老板帮你把贷款还清。到农村发展地区去工作是一个选择。错过一次还贷期限并不是世界末日，但是要积极主动地偿还贷款，否则你的信用将因此受损，甚至还有更糟糕的事情发生。

4. Work on Gaining Additional Skills

努力掌握更多的工作技能

You can become more hireable by developing additional skills, whether it’s a new language,HTML, or any other skill valued in the workplace. It could not only broaden your job and career options, learning new skills can boost your brain and make you happier. Never stop learning.

不论你是掌握了一门新的语言，网页制作，还是其他在工作时有价值的技能，总之掌握更多的附加技能，可以让你在应聘时变得更加抢手。这样不仅可以拓宽你的职业选择，还可以让你在学习到新技能时活跃一下大脑，让你心情愉悦。因此，永远不要停止学习。

5. Get Your Money in Order

合理安排你的资金

once out of college, your financial picture will probably change. Maybe you have student loans and other debt to deal with, no more support from your parents, and income that you have to budget. By the way, recent (and current) students can expect some unique breaks from the tax man. Keep this in mind when April 15 rolls around again and you can get some financial relief. Also, even though retirement⁴ might seem like a distant, vague event, now’s the best time to start investing for your retirement, even if you can put just a little aside.

一旦你从大学毕业，你的财务状况可能会发生改变。或许你要处理你的助学贷款以及其他债务，你的父母也不再在资金上支援你，你就必须对你的收入做好预算。刚毕业的（和在校的）学生都可以享受一些特殊的税收优惠政策。要记住，4月15日以后，你的财务状况会稍微宽松一些。另外，虽然退休还是很遥远的事情，但现在是你开始为退休进行投资的最佳时间，就算目前只能存一点点也是好的。

6. Figure Out If Grad School Is Worth It

明白究竟值不值得去读研究生

If you’re graduating college and still don’t know what to do next, graduate school is an option.Figure out which graduate degrees are worth the debt and find out if graduate school might be worth it for you.

如果你是临近毕业的学生，但你依旧不知道接下来要做什么，读研对你来说是一个选择。明白哪些研究生专业是值得你去负债深造的，并且找出是否读研适合你。

7. Start Cooking for Real

开始真正的学做饭

Given the tiny (or nonexistent) kitchens most college students deal with and perhaps too much prior⁵ assistance from Mom & Dad restaurant, cooking isn’t a skill universal to college grads. Pick up some essential kitchen skills, learn how to make some basic meals and still stay within your food budget, and brush up on other top cooking tips you should know.

鉴于大多数大学生接触到的厨房都是迷你型的（或是根本就不存在），或许他们在此之前更多都是依靠爸妈做饭，因此对于大型毕业生来说，做饭是一项陌生的技能。学会一些基本的厨房技能，了解如何做一些基本的饭菜，这都将算入大学毕业生对于食物的预算当中。并且你应该要知道提高其他的顶级烹饪技巧。

8. Know How to Brand Your “Useless” College Degree

知道如何包装你那“不起眼”的大学学历

Not everyone graduates with one of the best-paying degrees. If yours is among those with the worst return on your money, not all hope is lost. During your job search, even a “useless” degreecan be shown as valuable.

并不是每个人都是热门工作的对口专业毕业生。如果你的工作被列入最糟糕收入的名单，并不是意味着你就失去了所有的希望。

9. Keep Building and Maintaining Your Friendships

建立新友谊，维持老朋友关系

Making friends after college is hard, but meaningful friendships make a big difference on almost every aspect of your life for decades to come. So make an effort to stay in touch with the friends closest to you now and make new friends even as you get busy with work.

毕业后交朋友是件难事，但是真正有意义的友谊，在你今后几十年的人生中都会产生重大影响。所以，努力与你身边最亲近的朋友保持联系，同时在你繁忙的工作中交几个新朋友。