Posted on Monday, May 19, 2008, 12:00AM
祝贺你们，马上毕业的学子！你们马上步入社会，开始多姿多彩的生活。但且慢，在开始新生活之前，请仔细考虑我给你们的建议，这类将帮你们生活的更好。
Congratulations, college class of 2008! You've earned your diplomas. Now it's time to get smart about the real world.
Current projections1 say the job outlook for the class of 2008 isn't bad but it's not great either -- there is an increase in hiring compared to last year, but it's half of what was projected in the fall, and salary growth is mixed as well.
The bad news: Research shows graduating into a recession has the potential to negatively affect your earnings2 in the long term.
The good news: Surviving and thriving in an economic downturn boils down to managing your expectations and your finances wisely, which is a lesson with a lifetime's worth of value. Here are some areas to concentrate on.
Find Housing You Can Really Afford
租能负担得起的房屋
The New York Times did a piece recently on finding your first New York City apartment.
One of the men they profiled is a consultant3 who chooses to pay more than half of his after-tax income for an apartment in Manhattan. Despite the fact that his income satisfies the landlord, he is not showing good financial sense. You shouldn't spend more than 30 percent of your income on rent. If you need to split the rent eight ways, then do it. When you're young, living with lots of roommates can be a rite4 of passage, not to mention a fun way to get to know people and have a home base in a big city. 年轻时和很多室友一块住是一个成长历程，而且这也是结识新伙伴、在大城市里有一个居住地的好方法。
Or try starting out in a not-so-big city. The most affordable5 rents, not surprisingly, are in states such as Kansas, Oklahoma, and Kentucky.
不管在哪儿，房租都是最好不要超越月薪的三分之一，不然的你的生活水平会大优惠扣、甚至可能出现财务危机。
Take Care of Your Health
照顾好自己
Young people are the largest and fastest-growing group in the country without health insurance. That must be why I've been invited to several benefit parties for twenty- and thirty somethings who have unexpected medical expenses that they can't afford to pay for.
Doctor's bills are bad for your wealth as well as your health -- they're a leading cause of bankruptcy6 and credit card debt.
So if you don't have health insurance through your job -- or if you're still looking for a job -- here are a few options:
假如你的工作不提供医疗保险，或者你还在找工作，以下是一些选择：
- In 30 states, you may be eligible7 for coverage8 under your parents' plan as part of a family rate, up to your mid9 20s . Find out more here.
- You may also be eligible for low-cosplayt coverage under a state or local plan for low-income adults, such as Healthy New York or Healthy San Francisco. Check your state's insurance department for details.
- Consider a so-called catastrophic or major medical plan; these have the lowest monthly premiums11 and high deductibles, but they will pay off if the worst occurs.
上述的三种状况在中国都不现实。假如你的工作没医保的话，你可以尝试买一些成本低的商业保险，也会起到肯定有哪些用途。
