Shadowing Practice: 10 things you need to do before you graduate college | budgeting, saving, and negotiating jobs! - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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I feel like a lot on YouTube we talk about buying things and hauls and consumerism.
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I feel like a lot on YouTube we talk about buying things and hauls and consumerism.
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I feel like we don't really talk about budgeting,
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we don't talk about saving.
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Hi guys, my name is Michelle Reed.
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If you guys are new here,
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I'm at college and I make lifestyle videos.
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And if you guys don't know,
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I am a senior in college and I graduate in May,
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which is literally a month away, which is insane.
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Let me know down below if you're graduating when you're graduating.
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Because I'm graduating May 11th.
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I wanted to do a video all about ways that I'm prepping for post-grad life.
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So I have 10 things that I'm making sure that I do before I graduate college.
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I just want to preface this by saying I know everyone is in a different position.
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Not everyone's graduating.
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This is more just if you're going into adulthood.
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Kind of the things that I'm making sure I do if that makes sense.
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And a lot of these things are kind of finance related things.
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I did a video on how to save $10,000 and a lot of you guys really liked that one.
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I thought it was really helpful.
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So I wanted to do a video kind of more in depth of just things that I'm making sure I'm doing.
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I feel like a lot on youtube we talk about like buying things
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and hauls and consumerism
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But I feel like there isn't a lot of dialogue about kind of financial literacy Making sure
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that you are set up to be successful And
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so I wanted to do a video that was kind of all about
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that I just feel like there's this narrative that
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when you're young I feel like we don't really talk about budgeting We don't talk about saving
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and I feel like a lot of people in their 20s Have it a lot harder
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because they're not set up to be successful later on in life
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if that makes sense And so these are just things that i'm making sure I do This is just my opinion.
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I do not know everything by any means But these are the things
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that I have found helpful for myself The first thing i'm making sure
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that I do is make a post-grad budget plan in terms of my saving goals for five years 10 years
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and 15 years and
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so I wanted to include my boyfriend aiden is actually really good at excel
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And he is a finance major
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and he's actually working in the finance industry right now
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So he actually created a budget template I know I made one recently in the past,
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but his is definitely more specific and I think it's a little bit more helpful
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and so if you guys wanna download it,
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I will have his blog post linked down below and it will be in that link as a Dropbox link,
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so it's free.
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You can use it, but it's just kind of to help you plan out if you haven't really thought about it.
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So for me personally, in the next five years,
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I really wanna get engaged,
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I wanna want to have like my first apartment with,
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you know, him later on.
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And so those are kind of goals that I have.
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In terms of 10 years,
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I would like to buy my first house.
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And so that is something that I'm thinking about in terms of 15 years.
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Might have kids, kids are expensive.
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And so it's just these kind of things that obviously when you graduate college,
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you don't need to think about this all at once.
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But I think it's helpful to think about it a little bit before you graduate.
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The second thing is cleaning up my place.
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I am really trying to make sure I downsize.
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So I'm getting rid of clothes.
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I'm getting rid of furniture.
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I'm selling things.
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It's a great way to make some easy money before you graduate.
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So for me personally, I'm using Poshmark to sell a ton of things.
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I feel like entering a new phase of life with less stuff is so helpful.
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It kind of clears your mind.
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And like I said, you can save a little bit of money by just selling certain things.
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And so I think it can be really, really helpful.
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Another thing I want to start doing is building credit and using a credit card.
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I really value saving money.
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I don't buy designer items.
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I don't spend a lot of money.
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I invest in things that I feel like are going to help me in the long term,
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but I am someone who's really scared of credit cards and I hate that I'm like that.
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And so I am really trying to get a credit card,
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especially to get travel points.
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So if you guys have any recommendations,
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I think my boyfriend Aiden is also going to do a post on that.
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So you should definitely follow his blog.
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I need to start developing credit because obviously when you're signing an apartment,
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you don't have any credit at all.
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It's hard for them to verify.
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And so let me know down below what your opinion on credit cards is
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because they really scare me but I know it's something that's really important.
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Another thing this might sound scary but it's something that I did two years ago beginning a retirement account.
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Now obviously I'm self-employed and so I'm not getting retirement benefits through my employer.
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I obviously have to start investing in that myself and
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so I started contributing to a sub IRA account which is for self-employed people.
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There's so many different retirement accounts you know you have like a Roth IRA,
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a lot of other things that I can't think of off the top of my head.
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People always say it's the best time to start saving for retirement in your twenties because that is how it compounds.
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Just think if you're taking it out this money,
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whenever you're 72, think about all those years that your money gets to work for you.
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Even if you don't plan on contributing to it every single year,
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just start doing it.
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And you can also write this off of your taxes,
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which is something that's really really cool so I'd recommend
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that I know it seems scary I will link some articles down below
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if you're kind of interested
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but scared another thing for me is I'm trying to make
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sure I have structure in my life I am someone who really thrives on having deadlines
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and obviously being self-employed don't really have that structure and
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so one thing I'm really nervous about is graduating
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and just not having structure and so for me I have really been trying to apply to jobs,
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apply to internships because I know that I need that structure in my life.
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It's something that I really prefer.
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Even if that means buying like a spin pass to be able to go every Tuesday
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or you know planning to meet up with a friend every single day
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or just having a regular routine is really important
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because you're not going to have like a college schedule of these are the classes that you go to.
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Obviously if you have a job,
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that structure, So that is good.
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Also updating my professional wardrobe.
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I know a lot of jobs now are pretty casual for the places that I've interviewed at.
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I've noticed most of them aren't like business professional,
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but I still feel like there are some pieces like a really nice blazer or a nice solid pair of pants,
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things that you know you'll be able to use a lot.
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You should definitely invest in those and kind of along with getting rid of stuff,
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maybe get rid of the stuff that's like your college stuff
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that you probably don't need and replacing it with more professional things.
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Another thing that's important and this is kind of not a specific thing but learning negotiating skills.
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I've just found that in my job as a YouTuber and just in my life in general,
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my relationship, there's a lot of negotiating that goes on
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and it's really important just to know how to discuss things especially if you're negotiating a first salary.
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I took a class this semester on negotiating like pitching and also just you know this is your first job.
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How do you want to apply?
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How do you want to negotiate?
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And I learned so much.
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Just simple things like hey if you're not going to go on your employer's health insurance
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because you're going to be on your parents until you're 26.
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Maybe try to negotiate not taking their health insurance and getting more for your salary.
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Just little things like that
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that you don't think of whenever you get you know a formal proposal
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and you just think you have to accept it and you think you can't change anything.
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There's also a stat
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that women are much less likely to negotiate their first salaries compared to men
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and so if you're a woman out there don't be afraid to negotiate your place in life.
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Those skills can be practiced.
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And I just learned that through doing YouTube,
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I've been so much more successful in negotiating rates and negotiating contracts because I know how to do it.
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Another important thing is to seek out mentors.
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You want to make sure you have people who can pour wisdom into after you go to school
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because you're not around professors.
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You're not around, you know, your friends as much.
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And so just have those few key people that,
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you know, really help you,
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especially if they're a little bit older and wiser people
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that you can meet with and just ask for advice for navigating post-grad life
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and another thing that i think is important
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if you have really close friends
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or a close relationship a boyfriend girlfriend whatever it may be
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i think it's really important to talk about you know long-term
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plans i feel like there can be a lot of heartbreak
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that happens when you don't discuss your plans your intentions for later on
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and you don't want that to like sever your relationship before you graduate
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so just make sure you're looping in the people
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that you care about your family making sure
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that they kind of know where you're headed obviously you don't
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have to know exactly where you're headed i have no idea where i'm headed
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but i have like a general idea so i like to communicate
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that to them another thing i recommend is just knowing how
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to do your finances by yourself i will tell you guys there are those apps like robin hood
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and acorn and while these apps are definitely helping people you know get into investing
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and kind of take hold of your finances you can be
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so much more successful if you do that stuff without needing an app like
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that if you learn how to invest
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if you learn you know what stocks are the best for your portfolio
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that kind of stuff it'll take researching and learning
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which is something I'm doing right now but I would much rather learn
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that for myself than trust an app
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that you know is actually taking like a cut of the money
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or it's doing the work for me so I'm not learning if that makes sense.
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Aiden also talks about this in a blog post I don't mean to plug him
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so much but he's just really knowledgeable about this I'll have it linked down below
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if you want to know why you shouldn't trust those apps.
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That is all the things that I'm doing to prepare for post-grad life.
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If you guys like this,
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give it a thumbs up.
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I love you guys and I'm so excited for post-grad life.
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I think it's going to be so exciting
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and I really hope you guys are excited for the change in content and the change in myself.
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Obviously, I'm going to stay the same person,
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but it definitely comes with some new challenges that I'm just really excited to document.
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I love you guys and I'll see you guys in my next video.
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Bye, friends.
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Context & Background
In the video titled "10 things you need to do before you graduate college," Michelle Reed shares insightful advice about preparing for post-graduation life, particularly focusing on financial literacy and planning. As a senior about to graduate, she emphasizes the importance of budgeting, saving, and setting long-term financial goals. Her perspective is especially relevant for young adults navigating the transition to independence and adulthood. Through her experience and the suggestions provided, Michelle aims to foster a dialogue around essential life skills that often go unaddressed in discussions about youth and consumerism.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "I feel like we don't really talk about budgeting." - This phrase highlights the need for more discussions about financial planning.
- "If that makes sense." - A common phrase used to invite confirmation or understanding from the listener.
- "These are just things that I'm making sure I do." - Reflects the personal and informal sharing of advice.
- "Making sure you are set up to be successful." - A motivational expression underscoring the importance of preparation.
- "I know everyone is in a different position." - Acknowledgment of diverse personal circumstances, promoting inclusiveness.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
Improving your English speaking skills through shadowing is a powerful method that can enhance your comprehension and pronunciation. Here’s a step-by-step guide to shadowing this video, which is particularly valuable for learners focusing on financial discussions and daily communication:
- Listen Actively: Start by listening to the full video without interruption. Pay attention to how Michelle articulates her thoughts and the rhythm of her speech.
- Choose Key Segments: Select segments where language seems relevant or challenging. For instance, focus on her budgeting tips or phrases about responsibility.
- Repeat Aloud: Use a shadowing app to replay the selected phrases. Mimic her pronunciation, intonation, and speed. Try to match the emotion and emphasis she uses to convey her points.
- Record Yourself: After practicing a few times, record your shadow speech. This will allow you to hear your pronunciation and identify areas for improvement.
- Review and Reflect: Compare your recording with the original. Note any differences and practice those phrases until you feel confident. This technique is invaluable for IELTS speaking practice as well.
By integrating these practices into your routine, you will find substantial improvement in your English speaking skills. This focused shadowing approach can be particularly effective in preparing for real-world conversations, especially in the context of discussing personal finance or planning for the future.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
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