For context, I am 25, a psychology graduate who has always longed for a career in clinical psychology. I knew it was highly competitive when I was doing my Bachelor’s, so I worked extremely hard to make my experience as competitive as possible. I got scholarships, fully funded internships overseas, listed as author in academic papers and graduated with a First Class Honours.

It was during COVID that my father got laid off and my family’s finances took a huge blow. To be fair, he was of age (i.e. around 57 at that time) and it was hard for him to find a job. He had a huge ego too and couldn’t bring himself to work jobs that he considered “non-senior positions”. My mother had been a full time housewife for years and hence it was hard for her to find a job. As for my sister, she had bipolar disorder and had to visit the psychiatrist frequently, so that added a huge financial burden to my family. To be frank, she won't be able to financially support my family in the future given that she lacks accountability and is alcoholic.

So I finished the last year of my Bachelor's degree working several part-time to financially support myself. And when I graduated, I knew I couldn't study Master's (Psychology Master's are full time here) - my family will be left financially unsupported without anyone with a job and where do I even find money for the tuition?

I ended up working in a highly institutionalised job for the past two years. While it's a job with a very decent salary that I know many will fight for, I feel the creativity and intellect in my brain rotting away with all the dull, administrative work I do. Good news is, I give more than half of my salary to support my family and can still support myself (albeit having nearly no savings). My friends from university all went on to study their Master's and pursue their dream careers. And I feel the dread and grief every time I think about my aspirations.

I keep telling myself I can get back to my dream career after I save up, but as time goes by, I see that it's progressively harder for me to do so. I have no savings for my Master's, I no longer maintain contact with professors for recommendations, my knowledge in Psychology is slipping away, and now it just seems like I am going to be stuck in this job as long as my parents live.

I feel confused and alone, but I am sure some of us aren't born with a silver spoon in our mouths. And if so, how do you deal with the constant grief? Is there another way to think about this?

I don't really know why I'm posting this. I think I just need to hear from people who eventually made it despite being delayed. I was supposed to graduate this year, but instead I'm watching a lot of my batchmates move on while I'm still here.

The first time I got delayed was because I failed a subject, which pushed back my internship.
Then, before I could even start internship, I was diagnosed with a medical condition. Around the same time, my long-term relationship completely fell apart because my ex was putting me through a lot emotionally. It became one of the hardest periods of my life, and I ended up getting delayed again.

Most recently, I had another chance to catch up through removals... but It wasn’t enough. Looking back, I think I was mentally exhausted and just completely shut down. I regret it every single day because I know that decision cost me even more time.

Now I'm watching everyone graduate while I'm trying to pick myself back up. I feel embarrassed, guilty, and like I'm falling behind in life. I keep thinking about where I'd be if just one of those things hadn't happened.

Has anyone else here graduated much later than expected? Did things eventually work out? I'd really appreciate hearing your stories because right now it's hard to believe this delay won't define the rest of my life. I just need a little hope that I'm not as far behind as I feel. 🤍

It's been 5ish years since graduating during the peak of COVID in 2020 and I still feel that my class got hit with some of the hardest shifts in the job market.

1. Unemployment rates were nearly 15%, the highest they had ever been

2. Remote work had just become the new norm

3. No real opportunities to bond with your cohort or colleagues in-person

4. Reduction in travel and happy hours

I didn't really think about how much these shifts impacted me, until now. I'm grateful to be where I am today, but I feel that I've had to endure so much more unpredictability and delays than some of my other collleagues to just have a flying chance at having the same opportunities as them. Maybe it's just a me thing, but I'm curious how others in the same class are doing today. Were you able to land a decent job right after graduation? What was your path to getting to where you are now? What did you learn from all of this?

I just graduated college a few months ago and am 2 months into my job as an Analyst. I am most likely going to start my MBA online during January this upcoming year. I live at home in the meantime til I get my feet off the ground. I just wanted to come on here and ask for advice on life. I know I have purpose and have ideas of what I want to do or should do in life but wanted other perspectives from a large pool of people. What are things you wish you did or would tell others to do at my age? What would you make sure not to pass up on? Financially what are things to not miss out on? What is some general advice you have for someone my age and going on from here? Thank you!

I'm highschool graduate, I will enroll in university after summer and has a quite question.

What side hustles you did that made you money during university or highschool that made you livable without affecting or causing minimal effect on your university academic path.

Context:

I (20M) just turned twenty last month

I live at home in east Toronto, Canada with my parents and two younger siblings

Decently close with extended family who live relatively nearby

I'm two years into a five-year psychology degree. Not exactly sure what I want to use it for, if anything, but I'm thinking maybe something to do with child psychology.

Currently on summer break

Don't have any job experience and can't get a job at the moment because of surgery happening soon

Have only been in one semi-serious relationship and am currently single and a virgin

Have never been the best at being social and don't have much of a social circle, but trying to change that.

Getting into biking and photography (specifically landscape and cosplay) and want to get into rock climbing

Am officially diagnosed with Autism and ADHD

Started mental health counselling and Lexapro last month

Think about past regrets a lot, but I’m trying to focus on the now.

How would you say I’m doing, and what advice would you give?

For context I'm a freshman in college and got a full tuition fee scholarship, I wonder what side hustles or jobs that people go through to get their pocket money through college, and in addition to that my city is known for having a large percent of working hands unemployment.

Any advice would be nice and appreciated.

I graduated college in 2020 and in 2022 (prime covid time) and years later i’m really struggling with finding friends and even dating. I recently got out of a long distance relationship and i miss him 26M but we can’t be together because he got banned from the united states. During our relationship I really isolated myself and now am faced with the single life and no friends. I feel so lost

I'm going to university as a chem student in the fall. Should I get a laptop? I already have a desktop pc that I need to upgrade soon (Windows 10 Pro), so yeah. Plus, any other tips would be great!

I am 16(M) from Bihar,India.

my parents asked me what I want to do after 10th and eventually as a career. The problem is... I genuinely don't know.

I enjoy writing, reading books, watching movies, and sometimes I even think about filmmaking or directing. But I also know those aren't easy careers, and my family probably can't afford the uncertainty that comes with them.

Apart from the common options like IIT, NEET, CA, and Law, I honestly don't even know what other career paths exist. It feels strange that I'm expected to make decisions that could shape my future when I don't even know all the possibilities.

Please advise me what to do and what not to do and I'll be grateful if you can inform me about other career options that are available for a middle class family.

45/m realizing maybe I kept my circle too small. Recently single starting over

I (19) need help/recommendations on recreating structure after I have graduated high school. I am unable to work in-person jobs due to physical disabilities, so to make money I have picked up freelance and commissions as of late. After graduation, I went straight into college, but it was online and the classes were set up in a "do it at your own pace" setting. Obviously the assignments had deadlines, but I'd struggle with forcing myself to work on them prior to a few days before the deadline.

The issue I have is that I have tried to make systems for myself.

Whenever I was in college, for example (on break right now, and trying to figure out if my major was right for me, while compiling evidence for a FAFSA appeal 🥀), the first day the syllabus became available I would transfer all deadlines into my personal calendar. I even set dates a week beforehand MAXIMUM to start working on projects that I knew would be done at the end of the week. I tried to dedicate certain classes to certain days, so I'd only really be doing 2-4 hours of schoolwork each weekday. But if something greatly interfered with that schedule, I would end up not getting anything done that day, and the work would go over into the next day, and mess that schedule up.

Severe flare-up days mess would mess with the schedule I had set, as well, as I have days where I have to greatly minimize the things I do to make it through the day. Those days are spent in survival mode, basically, and are often accompanied with brain fog.

Now, I don't have much of a schedule at all. It's fallen apart because it didn't work for so long that I just gave up on it. If I have a job that I have picked up I'll spend however long doing that, on days that I can. On days off everything is really uncoordinated. My sleep schedule is basically non-existent. I struggle with hygiene on my worst days (namely brushing my teeth and taking actual baths, but if I can never go more than a full day without bathing or I feel too nasty). Some days I get wrapped in video games or worldbuilding or drawing, and I don't get anything done, and I neglect personal needs.

I'm at a loss, none of the therapists I have had in the past offer any advice on this (I just started with a new one, like, in-take session was this past Monday), and no amount of "self-care apps" or digital calanders work for me (I've used Finch, some other reward-type self-care app that I can't recall the name of, and my regular calender). Setting alarms works to a point, but my Mom complains about hearing them go off.

Edit: I forgot to add, but while I was in high school, I was working part-time from 4-10 and had art club on days off. I genuinely think a lot of this has to do with me having "lost" the ability to know what to with my free-time, or, rather, how to make an day with no clear schedule have "meaning."

I am a masters grad an international student in a new country I did my best in studies got a good Gpa and have been tackling part time jobs and also applying for jobs I did 4 interviews all of it didn’t land a job offer I have been trying for 5 months now I have bills to pay I have been working day and night networking and practising for interviews and I am having relationship problems too. I am at a point where I don’t want to go out of the house anymore I don’t feel like eating food. I am trying my best but why isn’t it happening for me, I see others getting a job enjoying life but why not me. My interviews go well but still I get the automated message without any feedback. I am just defeated.

Super smart kid who has a full ride at a local university. Will graduate with an accounting degree in 2027. She has been adverse to working, however, which has never sat well with grumpy old me. I made her get a job during the summers when she had been accustomed to taking it easy. She’s out of state doing an internship. She called last night to say she doesn’t want to do accounting and will be going back to school after graduating. To me, it’s work avoidance. I get not wanting to do something you don’t want to do but isn’t that life? I don’t want to make it easy for her if she just wants to keep going to school and not work. I’m thinking if she truly wants to stay in school, she needs to find a job, pay rent somewhere and get a lesson about life at the same time. She has had no need for money as her parents have supported her and she gets a boat load in scholarships. What say you? Would I be a jerk to tell her she’d have to find her own place if she decides to stay in school and not join the workforce?

I’m 19 and I just finished my first year university in med I feel lifeless I have no idea what you’re supposed to be doing at 19 idk am I supposed to get a job?? Side hustle?? Internship?? Any of that? or is it too early?? what should I be focusing on?? It’s such a confusing age bc I can’t really be a wreck less teen anymore but at the same time I’m not a fully capable adult. I feel like I should be accomplishing big things since the media nowadays has a lot of people who are millionaires by 24 and all that 😂😂 What is one supposed to genuinely be doing at 19 or even after 😂 Do you just spontaneously know what’s up when you turn 20? were adults really pretending to have it all figured out this whole time?

Been so prepared for graduation day but no preparation at all for the day/s after. Hi! I am a 23y/o fresh grad and on absolute ground zero on what to do where to go and how to start.

I hope I could get help from reddit titos, titas, ates and kuyas! My parents are kind of absent in my life kaya I could not really rely on them for help so I hope I could get some here.

I'm trying to start my own life and I do have long term goals.. short term medyo wala. Alam ko lang gusto ko na magka-work before the year ends and invest in living alone in my 20s. May konti naman akong ipon from my side hustles noong college and i want to put them to good use.

Where/How to start? I know may mga clearance and govt ids na kailangan asikasuhin but i am not sure what they are? But willing to learn! May pwede po ba makapag turo at lista sa akin?

Next, in looking for a job.. i have set up my linkedin, jobstreet and indeed. Any tips here or sites na I should check out and be active on?

How do I prepare for the world mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically,,? Can I have tips and advice on starting out because I kinda think I am on ground zero.

I am currently still regaining back my strength and sparks and recovering from burnout from being a student kaya hindi ko naman masyadong pinpressure sarili ko to be forced prepared. But I am working on it and I do not want to be stagnant for too long in fears na 'mapurol' ako..

Hope you can help me out! :) If it helps, I'm in the field of media! Salamat!

Bonus, ground me in reality, what are 5 things worth your money in your 20s?

As someone who graduated in mid-May this year in one of the humanities (I took longer than 4 years to complete college due to disabilities/impairments), I have been helping my parents out with errands such as cleaning out an old house and researching possible plans post-graduation. I recently came up with a plan to go back to the community college I transferred from to take courses relevant to my new career interest (one of the Allied Health Fields). This morning, my parents wanted me to make progress on a career again, but in one of the more prestigious health professional schools (e.g., medicine, dentistry). The problem with such a plan is that I sucked at STEM courses, so my science GPA is very terrible. I know I just mentioned Allied Health Fields, but they are not so competitive nor demanding as medical school or dental school, so I think I have a shot at those paths. When I revealed to my parents that I already enrolled in the community college courses, they weren't happy and told me to find a job and work on applications to the health professional schools. The thing is that I have been looking for a compatible job in these two months, but I couldn't find anything that I qualified for and resonated with my interests.

There are other reasons why I signed up for the community college courses (e.g., officially enrolling in college courses in order to stay eligible for public assistance programs). I know my parents want what's best for me, but their expectations and ideas have led me to disastrous results before, so I'm not too keen on trying things I know won't work. Did anyone here have a difficult conversation about what to do (or at least try) after college? If so, let me know if there was anything helpful or productive said or done to reach an agreement and get things moving forward. Take care.

Whether platonic or romantic it doesn’t matter just curious

Just finished college 2 weeks ago, been applying for job, but during the last two weeks since i don't have anything to do or go to currently, i've been sleeping in alot and staying up really late. Since i wake up late i end up just watching tv, eating and maybe applying for a job sometimes, but i don't feel too structured.

I would really like too your this time too build on health, exercise and eating well. Applying for jobs in mornings and enjoying my evenings.

Has anyone had this problem and how do you build routine and structure on your own time?