Adult things no one tells you when you’re younger 

What are some things that no one warns you about or teaches you to do when you’re younger? Here are some things you may experience as an adult:

Keeping friendships are more difficult as an adult

While it’s easy to stay connected if you see your friends in school or in uni every day, after university it can be hard to keep the same friends, even if you still enjoy each other’s company. Working different jobs and having different routines can mean that you stay very busy and won’t have much time for your old friends – or even for new friendships. 

After a while, you may develop different interests and find that you don’t have as much in common as you used to. If you do value a friendship, make an effort to stay in touch and see each other on a regular basis. Find new activities and interests that you can share, so that you don’t find yourself talking about the same stories from school or university.

Start saving early

Some adults tend to preach about saving money for retirement, buying a house and other important things as early as possible. “The earlier you start the better”, they warn you. And it is indeed harder to save money when you are working and need to take care of bills, and especially, after you have started your own family. The good news is, you are still young and saving some money now will still go a long way. You could ask your bank to automatically wire a certain percentage of your salary to your savings account each month in order to begin. 

Learning about finances and other areas of life will benefit you

How do you apply for a mortgage? Should you buy a house or rent? Which pension plan should you choose? Why do you need to make sure that you have a good credit rating? Should you choose private health insurance and how can you protect yourself financially in case an accident does happen? If you are self-employed, how do you file taxes? How long do you need to pay National Insurance to qualify for a state pension?

All of these things are important to know about, even if they are terrifically boring. 

Exercising can get harder 

When you’re younger, you may not think about exercise much, but as time goes on, the lack of physical activity can show up in your body and effect your health. It can also be more difficult to lose weight when you are older. By building muscles and staying in shape in your 20s you will strengthen your so-called muscle memory. This will make staying in shape so much easier, since your body “remembers” and can build muscles and return to its old shape very quickly, compared to when you start working out at an older age. 

Being an adult can also be a very lonely experience, since you may spend more time alone than in school or university. This may force you to deal with problems that you never considered before. Taking up a hobby, focusing on a goal and staying connected with friends can make things a lot easier. Remember, that others are most likely going through similar difficulties, so don’t be too hard on yourself and take things as they come.