The first month after you finish your degree and throw the cap, your options are endless. Literally. The range of possibilities is so broad and plentiful, that it can be overwhelming to think about. Of course if you’re reading this you’re in one of 3 areas currently:

1. Experiencing this whirlwind period firsthand, as a newly graduate.
2. Coming up on your graduation and attempting to prepare for the massive adjustment.
3. Past the Year 1 phase of post-graduation and comparing our experiences. Just reading this to inevitably comment “Welcome to the real world! What happened to the good ‘ole days?!”

My past month will surely match up with some, while also missing on others, but the goal will be to offer advice and develop clarity for every reader anticipating this particular month of May, whenever that may be.

Before diving into my thoughts and advice, giving some background information on my last 30 days seems like a sufficient place to start. I graduated on May 3rd from Michigan State University with a Bachelor’s in Economics. I have been job searching since mid-March, looking to find a job to match my current skills and align with my passions. I have been offered 2 positions, both before graduating, but found the negatives outweighing positives in both, and after discussions with my family found that waiting for the right opportunity wasbetter suited for my future. While I’d love to offer up a story of exotic traveling and once-in-a-lifetime experiences, that is sadly not the case. Maybe someday, but that day isn’t today. These 30 days have been filled with constant networking calls, email checks, and frustration. Frustration isn’t a discouraging emotion, and is a feeling that builds character in all of us. I hope these 8 tips impact your current scenario, and offer guidance in a confusing time.

1. Set an alarm. Early.

• The most dangerous decision you can make when diving head-first into the life of unemployment is waking up when you feel. An alarm wakes me up at 7 AM every morning, and every few days I knock the clock down 5 minutes. This snoozing obedience is in preparation for a true position, while also molding your sleep schedule into what you would like it to be. It also encourages your mind to think rationally when deciding between staying out late, or calling it early.

2. Get to the gym. There’s no reason to skip.

• All of a sudden, you have a lot of free time, and I know you (yes, you.) have mentioned getting to the gym more, as you’ve begun to slack off on the grind. Pairing this tip up with #1 is the pinnacle of a successful morning, but getting your lifts in at all is crucial. I won’t get into the details of the health benefits of working out (Econ guy) but you feel better, healthier, and ready to attack the day once you attack the weights. The decisions you chose to make after hitting the gym align with the positive choice you created initially. When I hit the gym early, my day immediately becomes more productive, in every aspect.

3. Start discovering your passions outside the workplace.

• This is something I didn’t think about until I found the time to. I’ve triangulated my free time on coaching a kids soccer team, and creating a podcast. The soccer coaching position has offered me a chance to develop teaching skills(something I didn’t know I needed) and work on my patience. The podcast is an opportunity to create discussions on a platform of my choosing, and something I’ve always thought about. These 2 hobbies have become factors in my life, and will play a role in the next position I take.

4. You’re going to get upset. A lot.

• You know that cute girl / handsome guy who doesn’t give you the time of day? Do you wish they’d instead just text you saying “I’m not interested.”? If you said no, you haven’t job searched. Waking up and checking my email has become the most exciting/most depressing event in my day. In a perfect world, companies would immediately notify you when they’ve went a different direction with their position, but this isn’t a perfect world. It’s frustrating waiting for something you don’t have, and the longer it gets, the worse it becomes. Relax. You’re a month into adult life. You’re not half as screwed as you think you are. Don’t forget to smell the flowers.

5. Listen to the advice you’re given. Talk less, listen more.

• It’s almost hypocritical to put this on the list. This has been a virtue that has been a personal work in progress for a while. I’ve always been a “why/ why not?” kind of thinker; I like to know why I’m doing something, for what purpose, and the value behind the action. I find myself struggling to take others’ tips and opinions, frankly because I tell myself I need to carry this burden of job employment on my own. The advice you get, however, is just that. Advice. It will never hurt you to listen, and more likely than not is beneficial, because it worked for whomever is offering it to you. While I continue to grow my capacity for mentoring, I remind myself that every interaction is a learning experience, and becoming a sponge is the best option for success.

6. Enjoy some of that free time. You won’t experience this again.

• There is no timeline on a job search, and you never know when the hunt will end, but valuing the open, available time you find yourself immersed in is recommended. This particular month is the most ideal time you’ll ever have to travel. Classes are over, most positions don’t start until early June if you’re already employed, and you’re not wasting any PTO days. It’s difficult to presume you’ll have the time off, but finding the time to cross off some bucket list material in this particular May is important.

7. Look for an hourly job in April.

• Anticipating that you won’t have a career-oriented job once you graduate isn’t ideal, but reaching back to an old hometown connection and grabbing a smooth 20 hours a week is something that ends up going a long way. While you continue job hunting, making money at an hourly joint is the way to go, as it promotes structure in your life, while offering you flexible hours that your next job most likely won’t.

8. Complacency is a virus. Avoid it.

• My doctor told me this last week, while we discussed life after college and mental health: The average adult stops learning new knowledge unrelated to their required work by 25. That is mind boggling. With the speed of innovation in this generation, a refusal to continue to learn is a death sentence. I’ve been continuing to work on my Python programming skills, while also diving into the world of Artificial Intelligence and Predictive Modeling. These skills may very well hold no value in my future positions, but that isn’t the point. These are skills that are in high demand, and cracking into the topics is interesting in itself. Learning is fun if you want it to be.

30 days up, and 30 days down. This is the most volatile point in every graduate’s career, and the next few moves made will sculpt my forseeable future. Continuing to practice these 8 habits have helped me develop a healthy routine in mine, and will only bring positive effects in yours.