There are things that you did in college that will get you fired in the real world. I know you’re thinking that’s a pretty obvious statement, but the business world is abuzz with the lack of etiquette in the workplace. Top CEOs are “resigning” for their inappropriate use of emails, managers are fuming about personal cell phone usage, and college women are claiming the headlines for wearing flip-flops to the White House.

In college, your professor probably didn’t care if you walked in late for class. No one looked twice if you sported your favorite pink pajama pants to your morning class of if you played solitaire on your computer throughout the class lecture.

You may find that what was perfectly acceptable in college is totally inappropriate in the workplace. In the real world, no one will take you seriously if you’re always ten minutes late, if you’re plugged into your Ipod at your desk, or if the “Sex in the City” ring tone resounds from your cell phone throughout the day. Gone are the days of 24/7 instant messaging!

You may be thinking to yourself, “I would NEVER try to do these things in the office.” And that’s good news because you absolutely shouldn’t. But I have to tell you, outside of the above business etiquette faux pas, there are even some GOOD things that you did in college that will get you fired in the real world!

Taking the step from the classroom to the workplace is one of the most difficult transitions in life. Often times, you have to reprogram your way of thinking. To help you make a smoother transition into your career, take note of the four following GOOD things you did in college that could get you fired in the real world.

1. Work Independently
In college, for the most part, you are expected to work independently. Can you imagine walking up to your professor and saying, “I wanted to write the best paper that I could, so I took ideas from several renowned scholars, my parents, and good websites and just copied all of their words into my paper”? I think you know what would happen – you’d get an ‘F’ on the paper and maybe kicked out of school.

In the workplace, if your boss tells you to develop a new marketing plan for the company, you wouldn’t want to base it solely on your own thoughts and ideas. If you said, “Boss, here’s my marketing plan. I know the company launched a new marketing plan three years ago, but I didn’t look at it. I know my coworker did a similar project, but I didn’t ask her ONE question! I know there is a great amount of research and resources on marketing plans, but I didn’t look at a single one! All of this information in the report comes straight from my head.” The odds are, you’re going to be looking for a new job!

In college you must work independently. In the working world, it’s all about collaboration.

2. Do everyone else’s work
In college, here’s how most group projects work: Two people do all the work and the rest of the team takes credit. Now if you end up getting an ‘A,’ then it’s no big deal.

In the real world, bosses are not impressed by an employee who does the work of the entire team. Bosses will think you have poor leadership and delegation skills, and they will think your duties are not getting the full attention they deserve. Plus many workers get offended when you tread on their turf. Yes, you want to pitch in and help others, but don’t be a work hog.

3. Do exactly what you are told
In college, if you do exactly what you are told and you do it well, you get an A.

In the real world, if you do exactly what you’re told and you do it well, then you get a C. The fact is, you’re expected to take the initiative and to go beyond what’s expected. In college, you can’t get higher than an ‘A.' But in the workplace, there are always ways to improve.

4. Wait to be taught
In college, you sit in the classroom, and you wait for the professor to teach you. You’ve invested thousands of dollars so that professor can give you valuable information.

In the real world, you can’t expect to sit around and wait for people to tell you exactly how to do everything. “No one ever told me how to do that” isn’t an excuse in the real world. Bosses expect you to have questions, to be resourceful and search for answers, and to take the initiative in learning your job duties and responsibilities. Remember, they’ve invested thousands of dollars in YOU!

So there you have it. Some GOOD things you did in college that might get you fired in the real world. It’s not easy to make that transition into the real world, but if you keep some if these tips in mind, it will be a whole lot easier.

Good luck!