Just because you have the money to buy something doesn't mean that you can afford it

Trust your gut. If something feels off, there is a pretty good chance that it is.

Don’t cook bacon naked

Never stop learning. Keep up with your old hobbies and interests, and pick up new ones. Takes classes, free ones and pay for those you can afford. Join groups for people with your interests so you can learn from them and learn from teaching them.

It's ok to say no. It's just a job, there will be others. Don't try fitting in if it requires you to break your personal values. Being respectful and polite is cool.

"Legal" and "illegal" are not the same as "right" and "wrong". Don't expect things to work out in your favor just because you "did the right thing" - there is no invisible hand that punishes the bad and rewards the good.

CONDOMS, use them

When furnishing your home with stuff you find on the side of the road, it's fine to take hard things (tables, art, etc) but never pick up soft things (upholstered chairs, carpets...)

The real world is actually really small. Be careful of burning bridges because you’d be surprised how easy it is to run into someone years and years after you last saw them.

Don't just react to things. Think critically. Take a few seconds to analyze situations and come up with conclusions. Always be self-aware and never let people use your emotions against you.

Learn to think for YOURSELF. All of your life your parents taught and promoted THEIR views on life, politics, religion, etc. and probably also told you how wrong the other viewpoints are. Now is the time to go, "How do I feel? What do I think?"

Be very careful of being dragged into any sort of workplace drama/politics. That friendly coworker who is dishing you all the dirt as you learn the ropes is looking for allies. You have no obligation to hang out with these people in a social setting.

The intensity of your social life will likely change - and this is mostly a good thing, but be prepared for it. Being outside of school means you are free from a lot of the weird drama that comes with doing everything in a closed system with roughly the same people. There is still drama, but you can almost always escape it because your life is divided now. You don't live with all your friends and work with them. On the other hand, making new social connections is a new challenge because you aren't thrown into a closed system with people all at your stage of life with many of the same problems. But making friends definitely happens. For me, wherever I was in life, it always took me about one year to make one new close friend. Patience is key. I would say you make fewer social connections, but a lot of them are of higher quality. A last piece of advice, don't view work as your only source, or even your primary source, for friends, dates, and hook-ups. Try to keep part of your social life separate.

Everyone makes mistakes. There is no real point in constantly trying to avoid novel mistakes. Instead, accept that you are human, and instead make sure to learn from you mistakes when they happen. "This isn't a mistake, it's a happy little accident" - Bob Ross

Buy a plunger before you move in to your first place on your own, buy it BEFORE you NEED it.

Look after your teeth because they are expensive to fix, toothpaste, a good toothbrush and dental floss are cheap so use them well. Look after your credit rating, it is difficult to fix when it goes wrong and also remember that things do go wrong so perhaps have a small contingency available if you can. Learn to save and budget so you know how much you can use and save comfortably. Be good to yourself and look after mental health.

Not everyone is going to like you regardless of what you do, trust your gut instinct (it's called that for a reason) take no s**t but do no harm, meaning don't be a d**k but put people in their place when necessary

A long commute is rarely worth it.

Honesty and humility get you far in the work place, as it can often be a game of likability (just be careful not to be a doormat). E.g. I work in IT and once I was troubleshooting an issue that ended up being my fault. I told my boss it was my fault, how, why, and what we did to fix it. He told me someone else not only blamed me, but took responsibility for fixing it. I ended up coming out looking better, despite all of it being my fault, simply because I was honest. I was promoted a few months later.

Even though money goes in and out of your account automatically doesn't mean you never have to look at your bank account. Just a quick daily check of your balance and spendings will keep you out of a lot of troubles.

You don't have to know how to do everything. Knowing how to learn, and being willing to put the effort into learning it, is more important than knowing any one skill. Your attitude is more important than aptitude. An employer can teach you the specific skills needed, but if you aren't a person that people want to be around, then why would they bother?

If something is too good to be true it probably is. People will try to take advantage of you, and you’ll probably fall for it sometimes. It’s how you learn, don’t be too down on yourself just learn from it and move on.

Do 10 minutes of cleaning every day, rather than 2 hours of cleaning on one day of the week.

There will be someone who will hate your guts for no particular reason, even if you are friendly with them, or even more so. It will not be your fault.

Don’t let perfect get in the way of good. And if you make a meal plan for the week, you’ll save a lot on wasted groceries and have a better chance of making nutritious choices. And wear sunscreen EVERY day, even the cloudy ones.

Have a budget and stick to it. Know the difference between wanting something and needing something. Don't forget to add a treat yourself line in the budget. Don't focus on what other people have/do. Stay in your lane and focused on you and yours. Get a cast iron skillet.

If you're unhappy with your job, put tons of effort into finding a new one ASAP. Also learn to recognize toxic work environments. I once saw a guy quit his job in under 4 hours, just noped right out.

Don't forget to take care of your physical health. Often people get so caught up in life they forget all about working out / eating right. Most of us end up in sedentary jobs. You don't need to train like an olympic athlete. Just being active 3 times a week or something is good enough. Maybe picking up a new sport can help you make new friends while you stay fit.

Consistently live below your means - save and invest the difference.

Save all you can. Do your best to try to keep at least a minimum $200 in a reserve for "in case s**t happens" money.

Familiarize yourself with your regions Landlord/Tenancy act - know your right and what’s expected of you in terms or rent and damage/security deposits

When I was in uni I was super stressed. People would always say to me, ‘if you’re this stressed now, wait until you get out into the real world.’ I’ve been out in the ‘real world’ for two decades now and it’s been so much easier than uni. Go out there and enjoy post-uni life!

Don't waste your time worrying if you can help it. It just drags you down and makes you weaker. Hit the gym when you can, boy will it make you feel better. And smile. Make a conscious effort to smiling more. It'll be reciprocated and it will make you feel good.

Don't fall for pyramid schemes.

Always negotiate before signing any contract. A contract should be an agreement between the parties, not just a means for someone to have the upper hand.