College truly is a unique time in your life. For the first time, you have complete freedom. You get to make your own choices and set your own schedule. You can do whatever you want, eat whatever you want, study whatever you want, go wherever you want, and truly create your own life. If you don’t want to take classes until noon (and it works with your program) you can. If you want to stay up until three am, you can. However, all good things come to an end, and by the time you’re a senior in college, it’s time to start preparing for the working world. Here are the college habits you need to break before your first real job.

1. Working odd hours.

It’s tempting to come home from classes and start binging on Netflix. After all, you need a break after sitting in classes all day.  Your homework can always wait until later. While this schedule might be nice, it’s not the way the real world works. Try to get your self in the habit of doing all of your school work between the hours of 9-5. Then, you can have all evening to do whatever you want. While it may not be possible to do all your homework in those eight hours a day, this schedule much more closely mirrors the typical work schedule, and you’ll be prepared for long days in the office. I know that your first eight-hour shift after splitting up your working hours in college can be rough, so start preparing now. As a bonus, it’ll probably help your grades to have dedicated working time.

2. Not budgeting your money.

Everyone’s money situation is different. However, when you’re in college, you usually get a large sum of money upfront, whether from financial aid or summer work, that you have to stretch the entire semester or year.  Once you start working, this will change. Most full-time jobs pay about every two weeks. When this happens, it may seem like you have so much more money. And honestly, you will probably be making more money than you ever had in college. This doesn’t mean that you can blow it all though, because with more money usually comes more bills. Your student loan payments will come knocking soon after graduation, and that can sting if you’re not prepared. Start by budgeting carefully now, and you’ll be much more prepared to handle money after college.

3. Sleeping too little or too late.

In college, you can schedule your classes later in the day so that you can sleep in. At a regular job, your hours are usually set, and generally start earlier than many college classes. It’s painful to have to get up at 7 am when you’re going to bed to at 2 am. It’s even more painful to try to reset your sleep schedule suddenly. Throughout your senior year, start going to bed a little earlier and waking up a little earlier. If you’re in the habit of not getting enough sleep, or not sleeping a lot during the week and catching up on the weekends, get out of that habit now. Getting regular sleep will help you stay more alert and feel better during work.

4. Not eating regular meals.

It’s hard to find the time for regular meals when you’ve got classes back to back in the middle of the day, so a lot of college students take to eating a lot of snacks and skipping meals. Try to get yourself in the habit of eating regular meals, including breakfast. The better you fuel your body, the better you’ll feel and the more energy you’ll have throughout the workday.

5. Being addicted to your phone.

It’s easy to check your phone or play a quick game in between classes (or even during classes). You’re only doing it when you have free time, so it’s not a problem, right? The problem that lots of people run into is actually being addicted to their phones and not realizing it. While this is okay during college, always checking your phone won’t fly at work, and your boss will notice. Break the habit by trying to go an entire day without using your phone. Turn off your notifications if you need to. Reward yourself for going all day without using your phone by having a dedicated social media time in the evenings. You’ll catch up on everything you missed during the day without wasting nearly as much time.

6. Relying on your parents.

College is your first time out on your first time out on your own, so of course you’ll rely on your parents for help figuring things out. Your parents know a lot more than you do and are happy to help so never stop asking for their advice. However, once you graduate college, it’s time to stop relying on your parents and start figuring out things on your own. Your parents won’t be there when you sign up for benefits at work or run into a tough issue with a client. Learning how to do adult tasks like filling out paperwork, making appointments, and solving problems on your own will greatly benefit you at your first job after college.

These are habits that most people figure out in their first year of working, but if you can start gaining the best habits now, you’ll have a much easier transition from college to working life.