The 10-Ish Stages Of Post-Graduate Crisis

Because graduating with a degree is amazing, but I'm pretty sure that your degree isn't in Post-Graduation 101

1. Graduating College

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This is the beginning of the 20-something Crisis: You are finally done with the papers, the all night studying, drinking coffee straight out of the pot, and stretching the $20 your Gran gives you a month among cheap beer and ramen noodles. You couldn't be more thrilled to enter the real world and start making money.

2. Job Searching (Phase One)

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You hit the ground running! You have re-vamped your resume, you used a portion of your grad money on interview clothes, and you are ready to land the first job you apply for! (Because for some reason, you think you're that lucky)

3. Job Searching (Phase Two)

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Your first rejection letter. You ask yourself, "But they didn't even ask me for an interview! How could they reject me?" It's a sting, but you soldier on. After all, something bad always happens in the movies before the successful breakthrough.

4. Job Searching (Phase Three)

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You receive a couple more rejection letters (and a whole lot of no responses at all), so you decide to revamp your resume again after finding an eye-catching example on Pinterest. This will have to catch their attention!

5. You Start to Let Yourself Go

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You are still applying, but you've let yourself become dragged into a snack-filled, Snuggie-dresscode world in which your parent's couch is your best friend and the only marathon you're training for is a Netflix marathon.

6. Job Searching (Phase Four, aka PANIC MODE)

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Your student loans kick in. You know, the ones you conveniently forgot about? Well, it's not all bad news. All of a sudden, you've found the reawakened drive to find a job.

7. You Pick Up a Minimum Wage Job

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Because those loans have to be paid, and your parents are dropping hints about how you should be paying them rent money. You run into one of your high school friend's Moms while working there, and she goes on and on about how successful her child has become since graduation. You use your break to cry.

8. You Actually Spend All Your Time Crying

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Your email inbox is full of rejections, you have no money, living at home is driving you insane after 4 years of college-protected freedom, and you wonder why no one wants to help you out of this post-graduation despair

9. You Consider Applying To Grad School

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...Even though you're mentally so done with the whole school thing and it'll cost you a bazillion more dollars, you feel like to have to be doing something. You can't just continue on jobless, maybe grad school will buy you some time. (Btw, you are wrong. Grad school is Undergrad on steroids, and you need to be seriously dedicated to your major to go into it)

10. Job Searching No More! YOU GOT A JOB!

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9 months in and there is finally a glimmer of hope. After rejections, internet scams, bad interviews and even worse offers, you've finally convinced someone to hire you. You celebrate jubilantly! You share your joy with your family (who is thrilled you're finally moving out) and everyone on social media.

11. You did it! You made it through post-grad haze!

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But don't get too excited, because then real life kicks in: Bills on bills on bills. Plus, your first job is rarely your dream job. The goal is to remember how far you've come: from your mom's couch to an office computer chair, and that's just a preview of how far you'll go!