Binge-watch a few too many episodes of "Friends," "Girls" or "How I Met Your Mother" and suddenly New York City seems like where all the cool kids go after college graduation.

If you're part of this mass exodus of recent grads moving to the Big Apple for their first grown-up job, prepare yourself. It's not as glittery and glamorous as those Times Square lights make it look on your TV screen. Here's what to expect:

Everything is wayyy more expensive than you think it'll be

You're not stupid. You know NYC is gonna cost the big bucks. But the sad truth is, it actually costs even more than you're expecting it will.

Laundry? ?

Food? ??

Going out with friends? ???

Rent? ??????????

RIP your bank account.

The most effective way to hail a cab

Catching a cab is basically an Olympic-level sport in the Big Apple. You need to be AGGRESSIVE and show no mercy for your opponent, aka the dude across the block who is also desperately trying to hail a taxi during rush hour. Don't feel bad about upstreaming -- walking an extra block ahead of your competitors -- to get that coveted cab.

FYI, the cab is empty if and only if the numbers are lit up on top. When all else fails, Uber and pray there's no surge pricing.

Apartment hunting is just as competitive as finding a job

Congrats on landing a job! Now brace yourself for the real challenge: finding a place to live while working at said job. Apartment hunting is every New York resident's worst nightmare. Broker's fees are absurdly expensive, apartments are absurdly small and applying for a place is absurdly stressful. IT'S ALL JUST ABSURD. ?

Come prepared. Have your application documents -- copies of your ID, pay stubs, a letter of employment, bank statements, the list goes on -- on hand. Know whether or not you'll need a guarantor to qualify for an apartment. When you finally find a place you like, chances are 4,738,645,874,532 other people will also like it, too. Make sure you're the first person to get your application in and submit a check to take the place off the market. Just like with hailing a cab, show no mercy!

Avoid using a credit or debit card to buy a MetroCard

Treat MetroCard dispensers as if they're ATMs. Hundreds of people walk past these machines every day, so it's easy for someone ~suspicious~ to slip something very illegal into the card-reading slots and steal your card info. The next time you check your bill, you might see some charges that you definitely didn't make. Then you need to cancel that card, get reimbursed for the unauthorized charges, wait for a new card to arrive in the mail and yada yada yada.

My first month in NYC, I learned this lesson the hard way when, in a moment of desperation, I used a credit card at a MetroCard machine in Times Square. The next thing I knew, someone in Norway was buying video games with my card number. NEVER AGAIN.

If you subway often, sign up for an EasyPay MetroCard

Say goodbye to MetroCard machine struggles by signing up for EasyPay, a service that automatically refills your card when it's running low on time or money. You get email notifications before your credit card is charged every month. Bonus: You'll never again miss a train because you were stuck refilling your card.

It takes forever to get anywhere that's not within walking distance

Manhattan traffic is a nightmare at all times of the day, especially if you're going from the east to west side or vice versa. Don't wait until the last possible minute to leave your apartment, or you WILL be late. Even if you take the subway, train delays happen with zero forewarning and at the whim of the MTA gods. Prepare accordingly.

You have chores again

Namely, washing dishes and taking out the trash. Dishwashers are a rare luxury in Manhattan apartments. Stock up on soap and sponges and get used to scrubbing.

You'll have unexpected roommates

What happens if you don't do your chores? Something way worse than your parents lecturing you, that's what. Say hello to your new critter roomies. You might get roaches, you might get mice, you might hit the jackpot and get BOTH. Aren't you lucky?

Pro tip: Soak cotton balls in peppermint oil to keep mice away. Your apartment will smell like Christmas 365 days a year, but that's sort of festive, right?

Laundry is an even bigger headache than it was in college

You have a few options when it comes to washing your clothes in NYC. Unless you're livin' large, your apartment building likely won't have a laundry room like your dorm did. You can either send your laundry out to a wash-and-fold service, which can be reasonably priced or very, very expensive depending on the location.

The cheapest option is to lug your clothes to a laundromat and wash 'em yourself. This is less than glamorous, but at least you're in full control of what happens to your clothes. Nothing will get lost, misplaced or shrunk this way.

It's hard to meet new people

It's a city of over 8 million people, yet it's so damn hard to make new friends outside your immediate social circle. Companies like Meetup and ZogSports are great at helping you break out of your comfort zone, but making friends will never be as effortless as it was back in college.

It's hard to stay in touch with current friends

Even if all your BFFs move to the city with you -- yay! -- it won't be like it was in college. You aren't in the same classes anymore. You don't live across the hall from each other anymore. You're all insanely busy at your shiny new jobs, so you need to set aside time specifically to hang out with each other.

This necessarily isn't a bad thing, though. You'll chill with the people you really want to chill with and let the less genuine friendships naturally fizzle out.

Seamless is a dangerous path

Seamless is the main online food delivery service in NYC. It's great because, duh, FOOD. When you don't have time to cook and are tired of eating cereal yet again, deliciousness is just a few clicks away. You don't even need to leave your apartment, because they'll deliver it to your doorstep! Talk about bliss.

But once you start Seamless-ing every dinner, it's hard to stop. It's an addiction, really, and it's not cheap. The cost of ordering delivery every day racks up fast, and then your wallet will hate you.

You'll never be completely prepared for NYC

Not even listening to Taylor Swift's "Welcome to New York" on repeat can prepare you for the big move. The city is equal parts exciting and exhausting. It's full of sparkling opportunities and lessons to be learned. Now's the time to take full advantage of all it has to offer.