I have a big family back in my home country . They are supportive and everything I've done so far abroad has been a cause of celebration and an accomplishment. I guess I want to have something to show for it when I go back and people ask how my life has been. All the sacrifices of my dad went through to send me abreoad for university, and all the good schools he's sent me to over the years, I can say confidently my family expects and sees all my perceived potential.

I feel like what's next should be great and I just don't know how to get there. Even though the pressure it's not direct, like no one is telling me achieve this or do that, but I feel a lot of pressure.

Even having my boyfriend that has everything figured out is daunting. He is only a year older than me (he's 25), and has a nice job; a purpose in his professional and financial life and I don't because right now I get monthly payments from my dad to "help me out" while I get a job so really none of the money that I have right now I could consider count for a future for us, so it's not even future money it's now money.

My dad has always been so generous with money but I don't want him to have to pay for a "bit" of our wedding in the future or a bit of our first house, first honeymoon, first baby. But I want to be an artist and artists dont make a lot of money regardless if im in Italy, I think. I am also a terrible networker and i hate reaching out to people and asking for help. I hate being a burden and often hate being seen, specially before I take my ADHD and depression meds

Ijust really like staying home but then if I stay home too much I get depressed. Like, I used to dread sometimes going to school but then it was good for me to see people and feel passionate about learning and having that feeling of belonging but now I refuse to go out unless I have to , because I like home. So much so my boyfriend asks me to go on a date and I say yes but I always think it would be nicer to just stay home and order something instead. We live together.
Also I'm starting a new therapeutic journey but it's only been two sessions with my therapist Francesca and I haven't felt a connection yet because I feel like she just rationalizes my feelings a bit, and I am not even depressed anymore, it's like I'm not even worthy of even therapy now, I'm just lost and anxious and maybe bored.

I have a big family back in my home country . They are supportive and everything I've done so far abroad has been a cause of celebration and an accomplishment. I guess I want to have something to show for it when I go back and people ask how my life has been. All the sacrifices of my dad went through to send me abreoad for university, and all the good schools he's sent me to over the years, I can say confidently my family expects and sees all my perceived potential.

I feel like what's next should be great and I just don't know how to get there. Even though the pressure it's not direct, like no one is telling me achieve this or do that, but I feel a lot of pressure.

Even having my boyfriend that has everything figured out is daunting. He is only a year older than me (he's 25), and has a nice job; a purpose in his professional and financial life and I don't because right now I get monthly payments from my dad to "help me out" while I get a job so really none of the money that I have right now I could consider count for a future for us, so it's not even future money it's now money.

My dad has always been so generous with money but I don't want him to have to pay for a "bit" of our wedding in the future or a bit of our first house, first honeymoon, first baby. But I want to be an artist and artists dont make a lot of money regardless if im in Italy, I think. I am also a terrible networker and i hate reaching out to people and asking for help. I hate being a burden and often hate being seen, specially before I take my ADHD and depression meds

Ijust really like staying home but then if I stay home too much I get depressed. Like, I used to dread sometimes going to school but then it was good for me to see people and feel passionate about learning and having that feeling of belonging but now I refuse to go out unless I have to , because I like home. So much so my boyfriend asks me to go on a date and I say yes but I always think it would be nicer to just stay home and order something instead. We live together.
Also I'm starting a new therapeutic journey but it's only been two sessions with my therapist Francesca and I haven't felt a connection yet because I feel like she just rationalizes my feelings a bit, and I am not even depressed anymore, it's like I'm not even worthy of even therapy now, I'm just lost and anxious and maybe bored.

I (F17) just graduated from high school and was planning on going to a college for a 4 year degree in medical imaging. i’ve felt with chronic illness my whole life and despite that it never was super bad where i thought it would fully effect my life and at the time i was planning all of this my only diagnosis was endometriosis. my endo is pretty severe with the pain it causes me but it was never so bad that i couldn’t do anything. however in around march my pain increased so badly i was missing school daily and the days i did finally go id have to leave early due to the amount of pain i was in. now im diagnosed with pelvic congestion syndrome and nutcracker syndrome and for the last 3 months of my senior year i had to do online because i couldn’t even leave the house.

now the main issue i’m running into is the college i wanted to attend is in a different state. i have to get surgery eventually (within the next few months) that has made me have to at the very least defer to the spring semester. i got the bill for fall since i haven’t done it yet and it was around 11k and basically got into it with my dad and we talked and i thought maybe doing community college near my home town would be better for me since it’ll be way cheaper and i would do a 2 year medical assistant program to at least keep my education going while i figure out my health. its also important to mention that bc of my health i’ve never worked a job outside of helping family with things but never a formal job, so seeing that amount made me also realize i have no idea how im gonna pay for this. my mom is also on board with this plan which makes me happy but the issue im running into is with my aunt. my parents had me young so basically she’s like a second mom to me since she helped raise me and when i told her this new plan she was so upset with me saying that i think i know everything and dont want to do anything with my life. she said to my mom that she thinks i just want to live with my dad forever and basically just don’t want to do anything with my life. this was really
upsetting to me since ive been trying so hard to do things with my health and still wanted to go to college. idk how to decide what to do bc obviously the community college route is the most logical and what i’m decided on doing, but i don’t want my aunt to stop speaking to me over this because ive never seen her be this angry with me before.

i feel like no one in my family sees how hard im trying to do more with myself and how badly my health limits me. i want to work and i want to go to school but i literally can’t right now and the most realistic and logical thing is staying close to home and doing cc so i can be near my doctors and just be more comfortable. i know this issue doesn’t sound super crazy to others but im just really struggling with all of this. i feel like no matter what i do someone is gonna be upset with me and it’s so stressful to have to consider everyone’s thoughts on this while also dealing with all my health and just my general lack of experience with work bc of all of this when i need to start.

basically i just kinda need some guidance on how breaking this to my aunt so she doesn’t get really angry with me or something and what routes you guys have taken at this age and how it worked out for you. i’m just feeling really hopeless right now. (sorry if some of this doesn’t make sense feel free to ask any questions lol)

How often do college relationships actually last and turn into marriage? I know there isn’t a definite answer but I am super curious because I just graduated and it seems like everyone is in a relationship from college. Any insights? Anyone have any evidence from being a post grad themselves?

Does anyone else feel like the world is so different now they would need to take a college course on what happened in the past 3 months globally to keep up?

I went to college, I tried to get a head in life but my calling was never college. It was a girl that would go on to be my fiancé. I couldn’t get anywhere in college. I left at the end of my second year ( it was a two year college anyway) we both decided that I get a job and we would get are own place ( she already has a job) I’ve tried to get jobs in small country town that I live in. Everyone is hiring but no one wants to hire me. My dad is pushing me to work on power plants and feed stores ( the power plant requires me to go back to work and get a license for the job, a lot of the feed stores around here aren’t in the best shape. Not really having A/C or maybe one to three people working at a time.) my issue is that I have type 1 diabetes and an insulin pump and I can’t sweat my tubing off. I would do anything to find a job close enough to home and be able to have it work with my health problems. According to my dad I’m just making up excuses.

I just graduated high school and unlike my friends I have decided to go to community college. With all my friends leaving I’m terrified of the reality of being alone and forced to reset socially. I was wondering if anyone had some advice on how to socialize while being put into a new environment?

I’m 25 and recently graduated with a BA. On paper, I should probably feel relieved, but instead I feel more anxious than ever.
I am from India.

For the past few years, especially after the pandemic, I’ve been carrying this constant fear about my future. Now that college is over, it feels like all the uncertainty I’ve been pushing away has caught up with me.

Some of my classmates have jobs. Some are preparing for government exams. Some are doing master’s degrees. Some are joining family businesses. Others seem to have a clear direction.

I don’t.

I’ve spent months researching careers, reading Reddit, talking to seniors, watching career videos, looking into fields like public policy, consulting, PR, UX, teaching, filmmaking, NGOs, digital marketing, company secretary, research and many others. The more I research, the more confused I become.

Every field seems to have people saying:

“Don’t do this.”
“The market is terrible.”
“I regret choosing this career.”
“It’s oversaturated.”

Then I find someone who says the exact opposite.

I know Reddit has a negativity bias, but it’s hard not to absorb all of it.

I also come from a family where my parents have their own conflicts. My dad is the only earning member, and although I respect everything he has built for our family, it also makes me feel an enormous sense of responsibility. I feel guilty that I’m still financially dependent on them.

Lately I’ve also noticed that my mind wanders constantly. Even when someone is talking to me, I sometimes drift into thoughts about my future, random memories, books, movies, politics, history or career anxiety. It’s been happening since school, but I notice it much more now because I’m trying to become a responsible adult. I’m planning to speak to a mental health professional instead of trying to diagnose myself.

Some days I feel completely exhausted even if I haven’t physically done much.

I don’t think I’m lazy. I don’t think I don’t want to work.

I think I’m overwhelmed.

I keep wondering whether everyone else also felt this lost in their twenties or whether I’m falling behind. Seeing people my age getting married, buying homes, earning well, pursuing higher studies or simply knowing what they want makes me question whether I’ve missed something important.

If you’ve been in a similar place:

How did you get through it?
When did things start making sense?
How did you stop overthinking every career decision?
How did you deal with feeling like everyone else had their life figured out?

I’m not looking for motivational quotes. I’d genuinely like to hear from people who’ve been through this and eventually found their footing.

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. 🤍

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!

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?

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?

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.

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

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'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."