So I’m currently a senior in highschool. Will be graduating in less then 2 months. I have 0 interest in college and don’t plan on going. But I also don’t know what to do after school. I have a few interests in things I want to do when I’m older with the main one being real estate / flipping houses. As of right now. 18m with $1000 to my name. What should I do. My girlfriends step father works as a contractor and fixes up houses. I have the opportunity to work with him, should I do this? I plan on it. But is it the right move. I see it as a way to gain knowledge on fixing up houses which I can use in the future. I don’t want to work in a factory or be a slave my whole life. I want to be financially free before I’m on the deathbed. Would like to do something where I’m my own boss. Thanks.

Hi there, I‘m a junior in college studying sociology and I‘m wondering how worthy or important a data analysis or cybersecurity minor might be?

I’m also curious what type of jobs people are getting in these specific fields (whether that be bachelors or masters, etc)?

Any advice and thoughts are greatly appreciated!

Good morning, I'm currently a junior majoring in Mechanical and aerospace engineering with a minor in German, my current GPA is a 2.63, my expected graduation date is May 2024. I don't have any internship experience but I have plenty of personal projects and work experience (unrelated to major) on my resume. I didn't apply for any internship this year because I'm going to study and do research abroad before I start my fall semester. I'm thinking about the possibility after graduating to take a 7 month break(More details in the 2nd paragraph) , the reason for this being that I never really had a break in school, I spend most of my free time after classes and during holidays working in retail to help my parents pay for school. My current plan for the first four months (June-Sep) after graduating is to keep working in retail, work on another personal project, improve my skills in some programming languages and programs I used in school, and study and take the FE exam, I want to work in defense later on in my career. The next three months (Oct-Dec) I was planning in travelling to some European and Asian countries while applying to jobs, hoping that I would get an offer and potentially start working at the beginning of 2026. Having said this, are employers going to question me during interviews about my 7 month break? Is it going to be hard getting a job after I graduate? I don't care moving out of state to get an engineering job while I get experience. I would appreciate any advice or tips from you guys, and I also appreciate the time you took to read.

i’m graduating in may and i’m shit scared about losing my friends. i love all my friends very deeply and basically consider them my found family. the fact that we’re all gonna be in different cities or countries and lose what ties us together is so terrifying to me. i’m dealing with severe amounts of anticipatory grief over this and would love to hear some positive stories from those who have graduated and still remain in contact with their college friends and didn’t fall out with them.

I graduate in mid May and should soon have a formal offer from this one company I have done internships at. My supervisor has already mentioned a couple times I should take some time before starting but I'm realizing this could have some different meanings. Would asking to start in August make me come across as lazy or not driven? Been a hard semester and I could really use some time to recalibrate before such a big life transition, but I don't want to start off on the wrong foot. Has anyone been in a similar position?

New member here,

These posts have been really helpful and I wanted to post my thoughts in case anyone else can relate.

Post-graduate is hard and I wondering if going to college was even really worth the stress and turmoil. I made honors but it still took me over 2 years to find a somewhat decent job. I lost every connection I had during the pandemic since I completed 2 years of school online and campuses were closed. I am struggling with getting into grad schools because of the sheer number of letters of recommendation that you need to get into a good school (I’d prefer in-person, rather than online for the reseaons mentioned above). Going to school online for two years is not a good way for networking or cultivating relationships with peers and professors and I feel like I am really paying the price for that now. I don't have any friends or “memories” from university due to the pandemic. I'm not able to get up and move to a dream city due to the high costs of living and trying to be more frugal.

Ultimately, life after college has been very depressing, uneventful, lonely, and boring. I am wondering if attending grad school will be an option (not due to academic performance, but the sheer hoops to jump through to get in).

Has anyone else experienced this or went through something similar? Any advice for moving forward? Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated. TII

About 1,5 years ago I started my own studies in the University of Applied sciences in Finland. I knew that getting my first internship landed during my studies would be hard. Of course I knew that it would be hard for other people too. Then I got an idea.

And that is internfromhome.io nowadays. It's very simple.

1. User signs up for free
2. We find the best internships
3. We send them to subscribers every Sunday

We are not trying to monetize this by collecting big money from the students as they usually can't pay much. We offer a cheap Premium-plan but it's not necessary. Our long term goal is to monetize through sponsored job postings and at the same time bring more internships for the students.

I graduate this May and I am far from excited. I know that no matter where I’m living (if I get hired at all) whether that is back in my hometown or somewhere else that I will be alone. I struggle to connect with people for various reasons and I know that if I move somewhere alone I will likely never meet anyone and never have any friends. How can I accept this before it happens so I’m not crushed by reality? I’m not a personable person there is nothing interesting about me even though I’m fine to be around. But I know my place and I know I will be lonely because I am a fuck up.

This company reached out saying " Thank you for submitting your application to [company]. We have reviewed your resume and are excited about the possibility of having you join our team. To discuss your application and experiences in more depth, and to explore the potential fit with our organization, we have scheduled virtual interview." I remember seeing the company's icon but I have ZERO records in my spreadsheet, google history, and emails that I even applied. The interview is scheduled for tomorrow. Is it okay to ask what job I applied for being that I have no record of me applying at all?

My remote full-time job is starting mid-August, and I graduate college mid-May. I'll be traveling until mid-June, but for those 2 months until my job starts, I have no idea what to do. I wish I was the person who was just able to sit around and relax, but I'm not, I need to be doing something. I'm not sure if I should be asking my job if I should start earlier or if I should take the time off to do something. I know a lot of people recommend traveling, and I have the savings account to do it (even though I'd rather use it on other stuff), but I don't feel like it's enough and if I really wanted to travel and go all out, I wouldn't want it to just be like a few days, but I know that stuff is expensive.

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TLDR: After graduating college, I have 2 months before I start my full-time job, and have no idea what to do to pass the time.

What do people who graduated with a low gpa do after college considering they typically have a tough time getting jobs after graduating. Do they drive UPS, get a CDL or learn a trade?!

Hi! I’m an education major at Chapman University, and I’m conducting a study about gifted education. I’m looking for people who self-identify as gifted to take this survey:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd5WoU4s0PIQWLnG0Q6y8U-hUmjWOcNf17I4lVO5wtb5p51wA/viewform?usp=sf_link

The survey is anonymous and no personal information is collected. It takes around 10 minutes to complete. If you know someone who is qualified and might be interested, feel free to share this. Your time is appreciated.

(Sorry, I didn't find an appropriate flair)

Hi everyone! Life after graduating can be so fraught with new challenges in both career and personal relationships. It's such a pivotal time with a lot to navigate that can be mentally taxing. My friend and I are trying to create a new mental wellness app called Emotewell designed specifically for new grads. We want to understand what kinds of resources would be most helpful for life after school. If you're a new grad and interested in improving your mental well-being, would you be willing to help us out with a short survey? It would be super valuable and we’d really appreciate it. Thanks so much for your time in advance! https://forms.gle/C3juK7guN9PATijQ7

also feel free to comment on this post with your thoughts!

I’m graduating this December but my final (and only) class in the fall is online, so I’m not sure whether to remain in my college town or not. My family’s been pressuring me to move back in with them to save money while I finish my final class for my degree and job hunt, but I don’t want to move back in with them since it negatively affects my mental health, my privacy, and my freedom.

For context I grew up with a very strict, overbearing mother and a toxic father. I wasn’t allowed to hang out with friends and go out growing up. Instead, they would frequently drag me to family functions “for the sake of your family”. As a result I was very isolated, sheltered, and had no friends growing up. Mother would watch my every move like a hawk, while father was very narcissistic & not supportive of my life choices & values.

I’ve briefly moved back in with them for a few months during COVID and it severely made my mental health worse. Besides losing my privacy, I felt like I socially regressed living with them (I’ve became a lot more outgoing since I’ve moved out). I would like to avoid that situation again… if possible.

I’m doing a remote summer internship that pays pretty decently and I’m planning on contributing to my rent with it. Afterward, I may go into freelancing and apply for jobs & contract work. Would it be doable if I lived with roommates or found a cheaper place to live in? I’m very stressed out about where I’m going to go after spring and I’m dreading moving back in with my parents.

There seems to be this notion that your "job" is destined to be something you dislike and it's best to just get one that pays well, so at least you won't have to worry about that.

But, if your job is the thinking your spending 6, 7, 8, 9+ hours on almost everyday, should it not be something you enjoy? Something that excites you? Something that makes you anxious and alert, not... Dreadful?

Your money is not your life Your time is your life So be very careful what you put your time towards

A quote that encapsulates this: "Nobody gets to enjoy a surgeons large salary except his kids, his wife, and his wife's boyfriend. Because he's too busy at work 10 - 12 hours/day to enjoy the fruits of his labor. So he'd best enjoy his labor."

Life is not "the weekends", life is not something to be beared or endured Life is everyday, every fleeting moment of every day, Life is something to be enjoyed and to be embraced in all of its brightness and it's darkness

Not only must we live a life that's worth living We should live a life that's worthwhile.

I am 24 years old, graduated from college last May, and I still work in the food industry. I make not a lot of money, but like 85% of my income goes to my students loans, insurance, and other bills. It's so annoying. I worked so hard through school doing 30+ hour weeks at my job to pay my bills, going to class on-campus, being involved in clubs on-campus, networked with professors, graduated with a good GPA. I did everything I was supposed to do --- now I cannot find a job. Now I work 40+ hours at my food service job, and I am scared I will not escape. I was unable to do any internships due to living off campus (my school only offers housing to first year students) because they were all unpaid in the area (small town). I have had several referrals to jobs, however they all came to nothing. It is just kind of demoralizing to feel trapped in this life, I am sick of having such a random schedule, never having weekends to myself then having to get up at 5am one day, then not getting home until midnight the next. I am sick of being covered in grease, ruining my car seats. I am sick of having to deal with these rude ass customers, I am sick of my managers, I am sick of feeling like I am not enough. I know you are not your job, your value comes from you as a person -- but it is so hard to feel adequate when you worked so hard for something with no pay off. I know that I am qualified to do these jobs, I know that I am a great worker, yet somehow nothing ever goes my way in this area.

​

Sorry this was so long and kind of complainy/ranty, that's just where I'm at right now.I guess I am coming here to just ask how people escape food service? I want to be able to use my degree. Any tips or suggestions for me in interviewing, reaching out to others, applying for jobs? I would greatly appreciate even the slightest help! :D

i'm a high school senior right now and I'm facing the decision between 2 colleges, and I'm trying to think about what impact this decision will have on my employment after college.

I am deciding between UC San Diego and the university of Washington for a bachelors degree in environmental science. UCSD is not that great for my major (93rd globally) but is a very good school overall (28th nationally), whereas university of Washington is very food for my major (15th globally) but not as good of a school overall (40th nationally).

Both of my options are good schools and I'm leaning more towards UCSD for other non-academic reasons (cost, weather, etc), so would the difference between these 2 schools make a difference for entry-level employers?

Hey everyone, so I'll be graduating this year from my undergraduate in CS and I think I am realizing that summers will not be as fun anymore. I have always either worked or done internships but for once, I want to truly enjoy my time and do something totally different, like a side quest. Does anyone have suggestions for summer programs or experiences that are a bit out of the ordinary? I've heard of opportunities like tree planting, working on farms, and similar ventures, but I'm eager to hear more creative and unique ideas. Bonus points if they're especially suited for someone from Canada!

Hi, I recently graduated with a degree in data analytics, completing it in less than a year. However, I've come to realize that it's not the right fit for me. Life's been hectic with personal milestones like marriage and loss in the family, leaving little time for self-reflection. Now, I find myself feeling lost and unprepared to enter this field. While I've always enjoyed learning, the constant need for it seems overwhelming now. I'm yearning for a simpler job where I can leave work at the office and not dwell on it at home. If so, what steps did you take to pivot into a different career path?

i'm slated to graduate this may with a degree in emerging media technology (minored in computer science and graphic design) and i'm absolutely DREADING the idea of going right into my career after graduation.

is that bad?

i've worked at my university's marketing agency as a web designer & tech support lead my last two years of college and im just....so tired. i'm planning to move out of state, and i get really excited at the thought of just taking a customer service job for a little bit as an in-between as i get settled.

full disclosure: i worked as a manager at a taco bell for almost 3 years (not fun) so i know these jobs can suck the life out of people. i think i just want to work a more "low stakes" job for a bit before i jump back into my career.

is this an acceptable/normal behavior? or am i just being lazy? i feel like i accomplished a lot during my college years, but was miserable for a lot of it and need to unwind.

I'm on the verge of finishing my master's degree in accounting, about a year away to be exact, and I'm starting to stress about finding an internship or any sort of entry level position in the field.

I've tried going to job fairs and 'meet the firms' events along with apps like Indeed and Linkden but nothing's worked so far, it's just been a long string of ghosting and rejection letters.

Is there anyway to find a job that involves a more face to face approach instead of screaming into the digital void outside of school? I have resources now but need a plan for when those resources are no longer available.

Hi everyone,

I am a 23yo (US Indian fyi) Before the new year I graduated got my first gig adding photos to blogs for a huge SEO software company. The pay was good and the work was so easy. I know, I should’ve found a better job before leaving home.

When I flew out to India, I got let go and have been applying and doing side gigs in social media to scrap by for very low pay.

I returned from a short trip from Malaysia to India since I have citizenship and I need a place to save up cash and get some clarity. My dad is also paying to renovate his old home so I can move in for free. - he wanted to do it anyways, and I felt I could perhaps rent it on Airbnb when I’m not staying there.

My ultimate goal is to be a travel vlogger or at least try it for a year.

The issue is my family was never on board with me leaving and I had to suffer emotionally for months leading up to the new year. I had so many emotional abuses hurled at me at the time. It’s been almost 3 months and I haven’t found a stable job. I get interviews here and there, so all hope is not lost.

My dad tries to sweet talk me on the phone occasionally about how much he misses me.Today he called me saying he wanted me to look for a ticket back home for Easter. I said I wasn’t ready yet.

He replied,

“idc , book it or I will do it myself. You didn’t even come for my birthday yesterday- but I get it, you don’t love me.” I said that’s not true, stop pressuring me like this.

He replied , “I’m not pressuring you. Also, we had to fire our employee at the family business. I need someone to watch the other shop. Mom has to go to India to look after her sister for a while.”

He also said, “you have your life ahead to do this. Focus on your career and our family now. Who who’ll look after mom and I ? I am almost 70 and mom is 61. You can do whatever you want to do at home or even in a new state. But as long as it’s America. “

So, my family is enmeshed and i hate that I can’t be myself or figure out who I am and have a sense of individuality.

I told my father that I will see about it. He dismissed it.

So I’m a senior and I will be graduating in August. This is because I didn’t pay off my balance in time so I’ll be graduating a little late. May graduation would’ve been better. I work in fast food and right now I’m looking to get experience because I didn’t do any internships. People suggested I look at temp agencies for jobs but I keep getting rejected or ghosted by all of them. I don’t wanna work in fast food for the rest of my life and I'm feeling kind of down. Any advice will be appreciated. I can’t seem to land any data entry or data admin job because I don’t have any experience.

This is a little bent of a rant. If you advice please throw it at me.

So for context I (22M) graduated college a semester early with my bachelor’s in December 2023. I had a job lined up via an internship so I have a good job there making $58k/yr. My plan is living with family and save money for a place and expenses later down the road. (Don’t get me wrong I’m thankful I have a job)

Lately, I’ve just felt so lost and unfulfilled and feel like life after college is just awful. I want to make new friends/find a relationship. For the record I do have friends but a lot are still in college or don’t live in the same city. So sometimes plans can be hard but I am thankful for them nonetheless. I want to expand my circle and I do have a couple friends of work but don’t know where to go from there. As for the relationship it’s always just been of a side quest for me. Like when I go out with friends or hobbies I just meet someone naturally. Nope never happened, and I’ve tried dating apps and they just suck. Dry messages, people don’t reply, matches suck, and when I set up plans they end up cancelling or whatever it just never works out.

Every day/week feels so repetitive and boring, like yeah I go to the gym and stuff after work about 3x a week or go to happy hour with coworkers but it just so repetitive. There’s no excitement in my life and the job is boring since I’m just sitting at a desk all day. I like the down time too since I work a lot but I want more to my life than just this. It’s almost like I have a bunch of time idk what to do with? Like too much free time?

I’m trying to develop new hobbies, find new ways to get involved in the area and make new friends with similar interests, but I feel stuck. All of this was easier in college. Life fucking blows and I wish I can go back.

I am 30 years old, looking to change my career and getting a different degree.

I suffered from severe depression in my teenage and twenties which affected my drive and I didn't know who I was then so when the time came, I chose BA in humanities as a degree. Having no career counselors around me, I decided that this degree would give me vast choices to major in.

Now, I have recovered from depression and have not had a depressive episode in the last 5-6 years. I have worked as proofreader and an editor for the last five years but the demand is lesser now and it isn't as lucaractive as I would like. AI revolution will make it harder than it's now to find jobs in this field so I am looking to study and pursue something that is more lasting and intersting to me.

I know what my strengths, weaknesses and interests are but I have no idea how to apply that when choosing a degree or career. I have taken many online career tests but most of them point me towards technology or sciences. I'm pathetically horrible at mathematics and chose no science subject in highschool so even if I wanted to, I couldn't chose a medical field. I have found out that I have no interest in pscyhology, education, performance arts, accounting, philosophy, and most of the humanities subjects so I'm stuck.

How do I find the right career for me without any counselors nearby? Would I have to go back to school if I wish to switch from humanities to science?

I graduated from college in Denver in May 2023 and since then I’ve been working a hybrid job here that I love. I really like Denver - it’s got amazing outdoor access (I love climbing/snowboarding/hiking/biking) and the weather is great. I think if my family lived here I would settle down here, but my family lives in NYC, and so I don’t get to spend as much time with them as I would like. I have a wonderful family and I think that eventually I want to settle down with my family wherever they are. It’s highly unlikely that my family moves here, and with that considered, I’d like to stay in Denver for a couple of years to spend more time with my college friends and to enjoy the outdoor scene as much as I can before moving back east.

The problem is that within the next four months the majority of my close friends are leaving town. I know I can make new friends, and will need to do so no matter where I go, but making new friends here after having the same friends all throughout college would be so strange, especially if I don’t plan to stay here long. It’s hard to explain, but I have so many core memories here with people that will have all moved on and I feel like everywhere I go I will be chasing the good times that I had the past five years. Maybe this is me just being dramatic, but it almost feels like with everyone leaving, I need a fresh start in a new place.

If I moved back to NYC, I would really, really miss the outdoor access. New England has a decent outdoor scene, but it can’t match what the West has to offer. I would also miss the weather, but I would love being in a city with a big sports scene again. My job can be remote, which I won’t enjoy as much as being hybrid, but I would make it work if I moved. My social/dating life would take a hit if I moved in with my parents, which would suck a little, but I would also love spending more time with them and I would save a ton of money that otherwise would go to rent. I could also probably afford to get my own place but wouldn’t mind a year at home to save and spend time with my family.

Anyways, I’m super conflicted about what to do. Can others relate to the feeling of needing to leave the city you went to college in, even if you love that city? Does anybody have thoughts on my situation? Any insight would be helpful - I’ve talked to a few people in my life about this but I thought some internet strangers might be unbiased :)

I'm graduating in June and taking a year off possibly before grad school. Im my 2 years here I didn't make very many friends and felt very lonely. I didn't have a traditional college experience and I kind of regret it.

Does it get better when I graduate? After grad school? I know people say it's hard to make friends and do things when not in college because you're working, but is it worse than this? I've just accepted being lonely here. Is it better out in the real world? Please tell me it is.

I know I should be enjoying the moment here though, but it's hard when there's not much to enjoy. Time flies when you are and aren't having fun though. And I can't help but look forward to graduation.

I'm a junior in college and I'll be graduating next year. I have a 3.23 GPA and a significant amount of extracurriculars. I've worked in Student Government, campus organizations, major-specific organizations and I can total my actual involvement to 6 organizations, 4 of which are leadership roles. I don't have any work experience though. Realistically, can I get a job post-grad? If not, what should I do now?

I graduated school a semester early but I walked in May 2023 and received an MIS degree (Management Information Systems), I'm a consultant not but I don't really like it. I've been saving up money to move out and still feel so much anxiety for what's to come and making the next move.

Is anyone in the same boat and would you like to start a friendship? I feel so lost and unsupported and could use a million hugs.

I was really lucky to have gotten a job pretty quickly out of college. I’ve been at my job for almost 6 months now, and I’m absolutely miserable here. I moved to a new city about 4 hrs away from my college town, and it feels like I left my entire life there. My friends, boyfriend, and things/ places I enjoy are all still there. I considered staying and working there for a few years but ultimately decided it would be better to start somewhere new, but really I think I made a huge mistake moving. I hate the place I’ve moved to, and though I’m so thankful for having a job, the work life culture is not good here. I wish I had just stayed in my college town. I guess my question is if anyone else has experienced something like this? Did you get through it? Should I try and stick it out for a bit and move back? Just feeling so lost and confused right now.