As your time at uni draws to a close and the amount of excuses you can make for only being a ‘young adult’ dwindles, there hits a point that you have to start doing grown-up things.

When sleep-ins are replaced with 7am starts, getting absolutely Libba’d changes to late night laundry and your friends consist of the multiple personalities your tired brain has conjured up – this is when you know you’ve finally entered the #adulting stage of your life.

It’s not your fault though, everyone gets old (and responsible and independent) at some point – so here are a few tips to help ease and excite your adventuring into adulthood.

#1 Learn To Make The Essential Drink Of Your 20s: The Cocktail

Now cocktails come in many deliciously inebriating forms. You have the classics: mojitos, cosmos and martinis. The new wave: espresso martinis, Alien Brains Haemorrhages or Sunset Punches.

Then there’s the staple of any party/dinner/night out/night in with the cats – the margarita. It’s not hard to put together and it makes any night better.

Rim a glass with salt, add: ice, tequila, Cointreu and lime juice – bam, tipsy adult.

#2 Have Your Elevator Pitch Ready, Always…

Whatever field you’re in or area of study you’re completing, you will forever need to keep either selling yourself (for a raise as an example) or an idea (for funding/employment).

The ‘elevator pitch’ is the short, pre-planned speech you give explaining you, your idea or your service to anyone potentially interested in your work. There are always opportunities to up-sell, and knowing how to convince people to help you is pretty handy.

#3 Learn A Party Trick That Doesn’t Involve You Drinking From A Shoe

Seriously, just don’t.

Try out an easy card or sleight of hand trick that’ll get you cheap laughs and open doors for you into conversations, relationships or employment opportunities that wouldn’t have existed before you pulled that literal ace of spades out of your jacket pocket.

#4 Actually Being Healthy Because Adult Metabolisms Suck

The days of blasting through pre-mix slabs and downing those grease-filled mystery kebabs at 3am are basically over because now. For every dietary mistake, the mirror will hit you up with some unpleasant body shame.

#Adulting is basically being responsible for every aspect of your life and your bod is just not going to let it slide anymore.

Chris Pratt can teach us a thing or two about healthy habits – the lovable chubby lad cut his weight with an hour of sweaty activity each day.

#5 Not Letting ‘The Robot’ Be Your Back-Up Dance Move Forever

Let’s face it, you’re no Terry Crews… so be a little realistic about the moves you can pull off in a club/ball/dance situation.

Something easy, something straightforward, something for those who struggle to pick up rhythm: The Carlton!

This happy arm and leg swinging dance will have people stunned at how you’re lighting up the room with this goofball move. It’s not too hard to learn, has a bunch of tutorials and will trick those around you into thinking that you’re actually capable of moving to a beat (even if you’re dying of awkwardness inside).

#6 Lying Your Way Through Any Situation

Woah, woah, woah… lying? Isn’t that bad?

Yeah, but you’ll get good at it and it’s pretty useful as an adult.

Lies are basically a tool for those tricky situations where the truth just doesn’t seem to cut it. Convincing a hook-up that you’re actually an ace pilot, tricking your landlord into believing that you didn’t spend your rent on a TV, finessing your way into a job way above your skill level or even persuading yourself into thinking you’ve actually got your shit together.

Let’s face it, being an adult is hard and sometimes we just need those little one percenters to get us over the line.

A country kid at heart with city slicking aspirations in his head, Harrison is an aspiring journalist, video editor and human being.

(Lead image: The Great Gatsby, Warner Bros.)