I'm now a little more than two years out of college. When I graduated, I was new to town, living alone in a small apartment and about to start grad school. Today, I'm a grad school dropout, living with my boyfriend in a slightly larger apartment, and on my second job.

我现在已经大学毕业两年多了。我刚毕业时，对这个城市很陌生，独自住在一间小公寓内，准备开始读研。如今我放弃了读研，和男朋友一起住在一个稍大点儿的公寓，从事我的第二份工作。

Let's just say that life after college should have a subtitle—trial by fire, I'd call it—and that you learn a lot. These seven tips will help you keep it all in perspective.

我觉得大学毕业后的生活应该还有一个副标题——我想称之为“压力考验”，你会从中学到很多。以下的7条建议会帮助你正确地判断各种事情的重要性。

1. Keep in touch with your friends.

与朋友保持联络。

The people you spent four or so years with? They're the best friends you'll ever have—trust me on this. Send cards for birthdays, set up Skype dates, and travel to see one another. It's hard making friends without the wonderful, semi-artificial environment of college, and having a support network is one of the most important things when you're stepping out on your own.

与你共度大学四年时光的人是你所拥有的的朋友，这一点你得相信我。我们可以互相寄送生日卡片，约好时间用网络电话沟通交流，旅行去看望彼此。离开了大学那种令人愉快的半人工环境，我们不容易交上朋友，而拥有社会支持网络是你独自迈出校园时最重要的事情之一。

2. But make an effort to meet new people.

努力结识新朋友。

Most of us recent grads don't live in the same cities as our friends. Go to networking events, go to meetings. (I met one of my friends when we were leaving a Junior League interest meeting, even though neither of us ended up joining.) Become accustomed to carrying on real conversation with new acquaintances—it'll help you both socially and professionally.

大多数像我们这样刚毕业的大学生，不与朋友居住在同一座城市。那就去参加社交活动，去聚会吧。（我跟一个朋友是在离开少年联盟兴趣交流会上认识的，尽管我们最终都没有加入那个联盟。）习惯于与新结识的人进行有效的谈话，会在社交领域和专业领域对你有所帮助。

3. Don't let weddings get to you.

不要让婚礼影响你的情绪。

It's tough. Weddings bring up a lot of questions about our own love lives; whether you're single and looking, in a relationship and waiting for the proposal, or just disgruntled over weddings, there's no avoiding weddings or marriage. Get used to it now, because soon you'll be attending a lot of these gatherings. Be happy for your friends, and either learn to be content with your own situation or do something about it!

这个问题很难办。婚礼会给我们自己的恋爱生活带来很多问题；不论你是单身仍在寻觅，还是正在恋爱等待求婚，或者正因婚礼的事儿而有所不满，我们总避免不了婚礼或是谈婚论嫁这个话题。适应它吧，因为不久你就会参加许许多多这样的场合。为你的朋友而高兴吧，要么学会满足于自己的现状，要么就为了结婚做点什么吧！

4. Learn how to manage your finances.

学会管理财务。

If you're clueless about basic budgets, start educating yourself. The one thing missing from most college educations is personal finance, but this is the probably the single most important thing you need to survive.

如果你对基本的预算一无所知，那么开始自我学习吧。大多数大学教育所遗漏的一点就是个人财务知识，但这大概也是你为了生存所需的最重要的东西。

5. Buy a real wardrobe.

购买正牌行头。

If you've played your cards right and allocated money in your budget just for shopping, start saving for classic, timeless items. One $300 wool coat in a neutral color with good stitching and construction might give you some sticker shock, but it's a far more savvy purchase than five $60 cheaply-made coats of synthetic materials.

如果你一直处理得当，并在预算中只留出购物的钱，那么你要开始存钱买些经典、不过时的衣服了。或许你在看到一件售价300美元、色彩素净、款式剪裁精致的羊毛大衣时有点震惊，但是这比购买5件售价60美元、用合成材料制成的廉价外套要理性得多。

6. Find something else to do with your time.

花时间找点其他的事情做。

Work may give you the resources you need to clothe and feed yourself, but let's face it—it's unlikely to fulfill you in every way. What should you do instead? Join an organization or a young professionals club, volunteer your time, or find a pet project that sparks your creativity. When you have outside interests, you'll achieve a better balance.

工作可以给你所需的财力满足自己的衣食，但是让我们正视这个问题——工作不可能在每个方面都能满足你。那么你应该做些什么呢？加入某个组织或是某个聚集了年轻才俊的俱乐部吧，自愿贡献自己的时间，或者寻找一个宠物活动来激发你的创造力。当你有了工作之外的爱好时，你就会更好地平衡自己的生活。

7. Follow your gut.

跟着感觉走。

Does a boss seem crazy? Does that guy make you question his intentions? If a decision doesn't feel like the right one, deep down, then it probably isn't. Follow your instinct and let it guide you. It'll help you in the future.

老板是不是看起来很疯狂？那个人是不是让你质疑他的意图？如果某个决定让人感觉不是那么正确，实际上它大概就是不对的。跟随自己的直觉，让它来指引你。这会在将来对你有所帮助。