In a Post-Graduation Crisis? Read these Books

I’m in a constant state of post-graduation crisis, and I’m still a year away from graduating.

Honestly, I’ve been freaked out about the prospect of going out into the real world ever since I graduated from high school. I have no idea what I want to do with my life, where I want to live, or how I am going to make as much money as my ideal lifestyle requires. It’s a horrible state of suspended animation, college, but here are some books I’ve read that have calmed me down a little and turned some of that fear into excitement about all my future post-collegiate adventures.

1. I’m an English Major–Now What?

I saw this book and absolutely had to have it because I was an English major in my undergrad and I could relate to the title’s implied panic. It’s actually a useful book for anyone in the liberal arts and offers advice on how to break into magazines, newspapers, publishing, and, of course, the ol English major standby, teaching. This book also has a nice section on whether or not to go on to grad school that I found very useful in the beginning of my grad school process.

2. How to Survive the Real World

I love this book because it’s made up of advice from hundreds of people (naturally, as it is a part of the awesome ‘hundreds of heads’ series) who understand the difficulty inherent in graduating from college and striking out on your own, because they‘ve all done it to various degrees of success. There is advice on everything from how to find a job, to paying bills, to staying healthy, to cooking and other basic survival skills, to forming lasting relationships. My copy of this book is probably more highlighted and dog-eared than just about any other book in my library

3. Suze Orman’s The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous, and Broke

It’s not necessarily written for college students or recent college grads, Suze Orman’s book is still prodigiously helpful if you’re like me and your financial knowledge is dismal. This book taught me what a mutual fund was (no, I didn’t know!), hammered into my head the importance of a Roth IRA (and told me the smartest ways to invest in one), and the smart way to make a big purchase like a car or a house. Most importantly, it gave me some great advice on how to most efficiently pay down my credit card debt.

4. The Quarterlifer’s Companion

Marketed less as a post-collegiate guide and more as a book to help you get through your 20’s, this book helps you manage your time, find a job (sensing a pattern?), find a house, etc…the same basic thing that you will find in the previous books. What I like about this book is that is covers a lot and doesn’t skimp on the details. Instead of just telling you how to get a job, it gives you advice on how to not get burned out by said job, how to negotiate a raise, how to deal with a crappy boss…you get the picture.

Have you read any good books about navigating the rough seas of the so-called “real world”? Let us know!