1. That all your hard work will most likely pay off in the form of a full-time unpaid internship.
2. And that most entry-level jobs require at least a few years of experience.
3. That once you finally do get a paying job, you'll either be freelancing without health care benefits...
4. …or end up earning minimum wage making coffee for the very people who keep turning you down for the job you want.
5. That, either way, you'll probably need to juggle more than one job to make ends meet.
6. And that it becomes a full-time job just managing all your jobs.
7. They don't tell you that sometimes "sick days" aren't an option.
8. And that some of your paychecks could bounce, especially when you really need to get paid.
9. Like when you need to make your student loan payments...
10. ...which you'll pretty much be paying off for the rest of your life.
11. But, don't fret. They also don't tell you that you'll start to figure out tricks for getting by.
12. Like that you can never get sick of cereal.
13. Or that you can easily fit five people into a three-bedroom apartment.
14. Or that your old clothes will become fashionable again (just wait for the trend to roll back around).
15. Or that you may need to ask your parents for help every once in a while.
16. And that, besides family, having good friends you can count on means everything as you get older.
17. Because they don't tell you that life is hard and that sometimes a helping "hand" can make a world of difference.
