Notes from the First Summer

In truth, that first summer is a difficult time for everyone—regardless of the employment situation. Even the kids getting the pimp finance jobs out of college are on the bottom of the totem pole at their firms, answering Blackberry messages from some guy chilling at his Hamptons pad out East at 2AM. The law school crew is not much better off. Great, you're in law school. Neat! Now what? Just months of waiting for what everyone describes as "The hardest year of your life." Tom Petty once said "The waiting is the hardest part." He's right. Shit's not fun when you've got a black cloud hanging above.

As for the social life, guys—take a deep breath and get ready. Though you think the "real world" will present you with unlimited opportunities with the opposite sex, it's not the case. Suddenly, you're on the bottom ring again. You've got less money, a less impressive job, and a lamer apartment (or childhood bedroom) than just about every other man above the age of 22 in America. Remember freshman year of high school? Wearing tapered jeans to dances? It's like that all over again. You might as well bring a Trapper Keeper to the bars. But hang in there. Things work themselves out, and by the Fall, you'll probably have a grip on the future. That summer is an adjustment period. And once you adjust, you'll do all the things the guy who read your commencement speech told you that you would—"take life by the horns," "pave the way for the next generation," blah blah blah. It works out. Trust me.

As for the ladies, enjoy it. You'll be showered with attention this summer. Many of you will date significantly older guys. Bankers. Lawyers. Oh my.

Some of you will even marry said older men. Just don't forget about the little guys. The ones your age.

The ones back in suburban New Jersey, going to bed at 9:30PM after a dish of mommy's milk and cookies.

Peter Schrager is a national sports columnist for FoxSports.com and MSN.com. He's written for Penthouse, AskMen.com, ESPN.com, and Deadspin, and is a frequent guest on Sirius Satellite Radio's "The Scott Ferrall Show" and NPR's "The Bryant Park Project". He graduated Emory University in 2004.