Side Effects of being an Unemployed College Grad

Lately, being unemployed is taking a huge toll on me. I have been out of school for almost a year (May 30th will make a year) and I still haven't got good use out of my Bachelor's degree, unless you count home decor and putting it up on the wall. Womp womp

I quit my part time retail job around that time last year too. I did work a seasonal job selling merchandise at Broadway shows over the holidays, but that flew by so quickly that I don't even count it. So much free time has worked out in both positive and negative ways. I know the title of the post could be a little misleading, because the term "side effects" is usually associated in a negative sense. And so is the term "unemployed" but throughout my journey of not having a job post grad, I have to say my experience is a mix of good and bad. So I'd like to share my thoughts about how it feels to be unemployed, with pros and cons

- I get to sleep whenever I want, and sleep in every morning if I so desire
- I got to travel 
- I got to observe Ramadan (I am Muslim) in the comfort of my own home, what a relief that I didn't have to go to work or school hungry with hot breath lol
- I got to spend quality time with loved ones <3
- I got to read for fun again! F*ck textbooks
- Got to explore NYC in new ways
- Got to catch up on TV shows and movies
- Learned how to cook and absolutely love it. I truly think its my latest passion
- Slowly getting back into baking. Since I'm trying to lay off the sweets and sugar, this is occasional
- Working on getting my driver's license 
- Working on this blog :)
- Too much time to think about the future and freaking out
- Easily discouraged about not hearing back from jobs I applied to
- Setting my heart on a job application I hear back about but then disheartened when there is no progress
- Saw the true colors of some people who only stuck around when I was able to go out and spend money
- Bank account on a steady decline lol
- Penny pincher
- My mom becoming too dependent on me spending time with her
- Regretting not doing better in college
- Contemplating if I chose the right career path or not
- Thinking about going back to school for something else and freaking out the thought about restarting my life and falling behind
- Older family members pressuring me to get married -_-
- Feeling like I am not accomplishing anything

Honestly, this list could go on and on, I think to each their own and some thing that I am upset about could be a good thing for others, But to be completely straight up, the worst thing about being a college grad in NYC without a job is that it fucks with your head. Thoughts about being a failure can torture you constantly. When employers tell you that they're looking for someone with more experience it makes you think "I thought I needed a bachelor's degree to get an entry level job so that I CAN gain that experience?" Or you could beat yourself up and think "Why didn't I do more internships during college?"

I've learned that it's normal to feel this way, and I'm learning to accept it. At times it drives me to search more and work harder, and at other times it discourages me from even trying. But its okay to think like this. This is my life, my journey and my story. I have to go at my own pace and let things play out the way they're suppose to, whatever that is...

To anyone else feeling like this, you're not alone! There are soooooo many of us and the best thing for us to do is help each other stay on  our feet. Yes, the side effects of being an unemployed college grad are draining. But hell, if we got through college, we can get through this too. Keep your chin up my loves! Hope those that could relate feel better. As always, happy reading. Xoxo