For Grads - Living expenses/financial cushion post graduation?

[mst2100]

Recent grads - What do you wish you had known or done about living expenses after graduation?  Looking back, would you have done anything different in regards to your budget to make the transition to full time employment easier?

I am starting PA school in a few months and I am thinking about how to manage my finances. My family has offered to pay for a portion of my school costs and I have some additional savings that I have put aside. My plan is to pay what I can out of pocket first, and then start taking loans when that money runs out.  I know that a lot of people find the time between graduation and getting hired to be longer and more financially stressful than they expected, and I want to balance minimizing loans vs having some financial cushion when I graduate.

Note: I am posting this here because I am a student, but I am interested in hearing from grads, or anyone with some advice on the situation!

 

[UGoLong]

I went to work almost right away but that was 14 years ago. I see graduates taking 3-6 months (sometimes more) to get a job. I would budget enough to make it 6 months without a job if I were graduating now.

[mst2100]

Thanks! That is kind of what I have in mind. 

On 6/11/2020 at 5:27 PM, UGoLong said:

I went to work almost right away but that was 14 years ago. I see graduates taking 3-6 months (sometimes more) to get a job. I would budget enough to make it 6 months without a job if I were graduating now.