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 Read More »