Congratulations, you have made it through college. You’ve walked across the stage, you have your diploma, and your graduation gown is back in the closet — where it will likely hang for the rest of your life.

After years of pulling all-nighters to cram for midterms and finals, the real work is about to begin.

When I was younger, people always told me my time in high school and college would be the best years of my life.

Those years were fun and full of memories and lessons I will always cherish, but I can honestly say my time after college has been the best.

Looking over the photographs my co-workers took during the local college graduations last weekend, I could see the look of relief and excitement I remember experiencing during my own college commencement.

One important lesson I have learned since graduating from college in 2009 is to hold on to those emotions. Never forget that feeling of boundless optimism you had when you heard your name called on graduation day. Remember that, as corny as it is, anything is always possible.

By graduating college, you have proven to the world, and to yourself, that you can work through challenges and deadlines.

By earning your degree, you have given yourself a huge advantage as you now enter the real world.

A quick search of the Internet will show you the value of your degree. You are likely to earn more money and more promotions than someone without a degree.

But that doesn’t mean life will be easy from here on simply because you have graduated from college.

That’s where a positive attitude will serve you well.

Life after college will try you like no professor or final ever could. There will be bosses you can’t stand, apartments that get broken in to and bills you’ll struggle to pay.

There will be stressful days, weeks, months and years that will test your will to get out of bed. Trust me.

But keep moving.

There was one year of my post-college life where I haven’t done that. I wasn’t happy, and I let depression wreck my life.

I was working for a company I wasn’t too thrilled about in a town I saw the worst in, and so there is a year of my life I don’t remember because I didn’t give myself that chance.

One day, I decided to take control of my life and live with the positive attitude I had on graduation day.

Don’t make that same mistake I did.

Celebrate every single day.Embrace the days filled with laughter and fight through those filled with heartache.

You made it this far, now the fun begins.