u/Altruistic-Nature583

My frnd is 22M, graduated ~3 months ago with a BTech in ECE from a private autonomous Tier 2/3 college. CGPA around 8.8–8.9, plus a strong national-level hackathon achievement. He got an on campus Infosys offer (3.6 LPA), but doesn't want to take it because of an 18 month bond with a ₹3 lakh penalty, n for him, he does NOT want to do the '3-4 lakh' kinda IT jobs...

He has always wanted to move abroad and initially planned a US master's. He got admits from ASU, Stony Brook, Pace, UMass etc., mostly MIS and some CS programs. But his visa got rejected. From what he told, the officer asked which uni he was going to, he started answering ASU and explaining why he chose it, and apparently the officer stopped him before he could finish and rejected the visa. He was obviously devastated and cried a lot afterward.

For a while, I thought this would make him reconsider the timing. Instead, he became extremely negative about the US and then pivoted almost immediately to Ireland after his consultancy suggested it.

Instead of postponing, he switched to Ireland through a consultancy and got into UCD's MIS program. Tuition is around 17 lakh, so much cheaper than the ~60–70 lakh US plan. His Ireland visa was submitted ~3 weeks ago, but there is still no decision and classes start 31 Aug. Apparently other students from the same consultancy are also waiting.

He's already mentally prepared to leave.

My concern isn't really the tuition, it seems affordable for the family. I'm worried about the career and immigration reality afterward for him.

He wants to stay abroad long term if possible, although he says he'll return after 1–2 years. He seems to assume that getting the master's will give him a reasonable path to a job and eventually PR.

How good is UCD MIS for an ECE graduate? How difficult is it to get a job after a 1-year MIS, especially without significant work exp? Would it have been smarter to work in India for 1–2 years, even if the job was mediocre like Infosys?

I completely understand wanting to leave India, and I don't want to discourage him from pursuing that. I'm just worried the decision is being driven by “I need to get out” rather than a realistic assessment of Ireland's job market and immigration situation.

If you were in his position in 2026, would you go to UCD for MIS now, or work for 1–2 years in India and then pursue a master's abroad?

Especially interested in hearing from Indians currently studying/working in Ireland, or people who went through UCD MIS.

my_qualifications : I’m asking because I’m worried my friend may be rushing into a study abroad decision mainly because he really wants to leave India.

He is 22M, graduated ~3 months ago with a BTech in ECE from a private autonomous Tier 2/3 college. CGPA around 8.8–8.9, plus a strong national-level hackathon achievement. He got an on campus Infosys offer (3.6 LPA), but doesn't want to take it because of an 18 month bond with a ₹3 lakh penalty, n for him, he does NOT want to do the '3-4 lakh' kinda IT jobs...

He has always wanted to move abroad and initially planned a US master's. He got admits from ASU, Stony Brook, Pace, UMass etc., mostly MIS and some CS programs. But his visa got rejected. From what he told, the officer asked which uni he was going to, he started answering ASU and explaining why he chose it, and apparently the officer stopped him before he could finish and rejected the visa. He was obviously devastated and cried a lot afterward.

For a while, I thought this would make him reconsider the timing. Instead, he became extremely negative about the US and then pivoted almost immediately to Ireland after his consultancy suggested it.

Instead of postponing, he switched to Ireland through a consultancy and got into UCD's MIS program. Tuition is around 17 lakh, so much cheaper than the ~60–70 lakh US plan. His Ireland visa was submitted ~3 weeks ago, but there is still no decision and classes start 31 Aug. Apparently other students from the same consultancy are also waiting.

He's already mentally prepared to leave.

My concern isn't really the tuition, it seems affordable for the family. I'm worried about the career and immigration reality afterward for him.

He wants to stay abroad long term if possible, although he says he'll return after 1–2 years. He seems to assume that getting the master's will give him a reasonable path to a job and eventually PR.

Questions I have:

• How good is UCD MIS for an ECE graduate?
• Is Ireland actually a realistic long-term immigration/PR pathway in 2026?
• How difficult is it to get a job after a 1-year MIS, especially without significant work exp?
• Would it have been smarter to work in India for 1–2 years, even if the job was mediocre like Infosys?

I completely understand wanting to leave India, and I don't want to discourage him from pursuing that. I'm just worried the decision is being driven by “I need to get out” rather than a realistic assessment of Ireland's job market and immigration situation.

If you were in his position in 2026, would you go to UCD for MIS now, or work for 1–2 years in India and then pursue a master's abroad?

Especially interested in hearing from Indians currently studying/working in Ireland, or people who went through UCD MIS.

I graduated and have been unemployed for ~3 months and my priority is simply GET ANY IT JOB QUICKLY, even if the pay/work isn’t great, so I can get experience and later switch domains. Someone with 15 years in IT (worked at Apple, TCS, etc.) told me that as a fresher/non-IT graduate, chasing saturated trendy roles like Data Analytics, Data Science, DevOps, Cybersecurity, FDE, AI/ML etc. is a mistake right now. He also said full stack/frontend is increasingly exposed to AI and that getting any first IT job matters more than getting the “perfect” domain. He suggested IT Support Engineer, Service Desk, Desktop Support, Technical/Application Support, L1 Support, NOC/Network Support, IT Engineer, and eventually Network Security/Cloud Admin. He specifically told me to stop focusing so heavily on Data Analytics/Business Analyst roles, which I was preparing for, because of how saturated fresher hiring has become. I know basic Python, am currently doing low-level DSA with Python, and already have some Excel/SQL/Power BI analytics projects, but I have zero IT experience. So is this advice actually correct for the Indian fresher market in 2026, and which path is realistically easiest to break into: IT Support, Network/NOC, Testing, Application Support, Cloud, or something else? If I choose one of these, exactly what skills, tools, certifications/projects and GitHub/LinkedIn/resume content do I need to start applying aggressively and clear interviews? My priority is ANY FULL TIME JOB AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, not necessarily my final career—I can use 1–2 years of experience to move into analytics, consulting, cloud, etc. What would you do in my position?

I graduated and have been unemployed for ~3 months and my priority is simply GET ANY IT JOB QUICKLY, even if the pay/work isn’t great, so I can get experience and later switch domains. Someone with 15 years in IT (worked at Apple, TCS, etc.) told me that as a fresher/non-IT graduate, chasing saturated trendy roles like Data Analytics, Data Science, DevOps, Cybersecurity, FDE, AI/ML etc. is a mistake right now. He also said full stack/frontend is increasingly exposed to AI and that getting any first IT job matters more than getting the “perfect” domain. He suggested IT Support Engineer, Service Desk, Desktop Support, Technical/Application Support, L1 Support, NOC/Network Support, IT Engineer, and eventually Network Security/Cloud Admin. He specifically told me to stop focusing so heavily on Data Analytics/Business Analyst roles, which I was preparing for, because of how saturated fresher hiring has become. I know basic Python, am currently doing low-level DSA with Python, and already have some Excel/SQL/Power BI analytics projects, but I have zero IT experience. So is this advice actually correct for the Indian fresher market in 2026, and which path is realistically easiest to break into: IT Support, Network/NOC, Testing, Application Support, Cloud, or something else? If I choose one of these, exactly what skills, tools, certifications/projects and GitHub/LinkedIn/resume content do I need to start applying aggressively and clear interviews? My priority is ANY FULL TIME JOB AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, not necessarily my final career—I can use 1–2 years of experience to move into analytics, consulting, cloud, etc. What would you do in my position?

I graduated and have been unemployed for ~3 months and my priority is simply GET ANY IT JOB QUICKLY, even if the pay/work isn’t great, so I can get experience and later switch domains. Someone with 15 years in IT (worked at Apple, TCS, etc.) told me that as a fresher/non-IT graduate, chasing saturated trendy roles like Data Analytics, Data Science, DevOps, Cybersecurity, FDE, AI/ML etc. is a mistake right now. He also said full stack/frontend is increasingly exposed to AI and that getting any first IT job matters more than getting the “perfect” domain. He suggested IT Support Engineer, Service Desk, Desktop Support, Technical/Application Support, L1 Support, NOC/Network Support, IT Engineer, and eventually Network Security/Cloud Admin. He specifically told me to stop focusing so heavily on Data Analytics/Business Analyst roles, which I was preparing for, because of how saturated fresher hiring has become. I know basic Python, am currently doing low-level DSA with Python, and already have some Excel/SQL/Power BI analytics projects, but I have zero IT experience. So is this advice actually correct for the Indian fresher market in 2026, and which path is realistically easiest to break into: IT Support, Network/NOC, Testing, Application Support, Cloud, or something else? If I choose one of these, exactly what skills, tools, certifications/projects and GitHub/LinkedIn/resume content do I need to start applying aggressively and clear interviews? My priority is ANY FULL TIME JOB AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, not necessarily my final career—I can use 1–2 years of experience to move into analytics, consulting, cloud, etc. What would you do in my position?

I graduated and have been unemployed for ~3 months and my priority is simply GET ANY IT JOB QUICKLY, even if the pay/work isn’t great, so I can get experience and later switch domains. Someone with 15 years in IT (worked at Apple, TCS, etc.) told me that as a fresher/non-IT graduate, chasing saturated trendy roles like Data Analytics, Data Science, DevOps, Cybersecurity, FDE, AI/ML etc. is a mistake right now. He also said full stack/frontend is increasingly exposed to AI and that getting any first IT job matters more than getting the “perfect” domain. He suggested IT Support Engineer, Service Desk, Desktop Support, Technical/Application Support, L1 Support, NOC/Network Support, IT Engineer, and eventually Network Security/Cloud Admin. He specifically told me to stop focusing so heavily on Data Analytics/Business Analyst roles, which I was preparing for, because of how saturated fresher hiring has become. I know basic Python, am currently doing low-level DSA with Python, and already have some Excel/SQL/Power BI analytics projects, but I have zero IT experience. So is this advice actually correct for the Indian fresher market in 2026, and which path is realistically easiest to break into: IT Support, Network/NOC, Testing, Application Support, Cloud, or something else? If I choose one of these, exactly what skills, tools, certifications/projects and GitHub/LinkedIn/resume content do I need to start applying aggressively and clear interviews? My priority is ANY FULL TIME JOB AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, not necessarily my final career—I can use 1–2 years of experience to move into analytics, consulting, cloud, etc. What would you do in my position?

my_qualifications I graduated and have been unemployed for ~3 months and my priority is simply GET ANY IT JOB QUICKLY, even if the pay/work isn’t great, so I can get experience and later switch domains. Someone with 15 years in IT (worked at Apple, TCS, etc.) told me that as a fresher/non-IT graduate, chasing saturated trendy roles like Data Analytics, Data Science, DevOps, Cybersecurity, FDE, AI/ML etc. is a mistake right now. He also said full stack/frontend is increasingly exposed to AI and that getting any first IT job matters more than getting the “perfect” domain. He suggested IT Support Engineer, Service Desk, Desktop Support, Technical/Application Support, L1 Support, NOC/Network Support, IT Engineer, and eventually Network Security/Cloud Admin. He specifically told me to stop focusing so heavily on Data Analytics/Business Analyst roles, which I was preparing for, because of how saturated fresher hiring has become. I know basic Python, am currently doing low-level DSA with Python, and already have some Excel/SQL/Power BI analytics projects, but I have zero IT experience. So is this advice actually correct for the Indian fresher market in 2026, and which path is realistically easiest to break into: IT Support, Network/NOC, Testing, Application Support, Cloud, or something else? If I choose one of these, exactly what skills, tools, certifications/projects and GitHub/LinkedIn/resume content do I need to start applying aggressively and clear interviews? My priority is ANY FULL TIME JOB AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, not necessarily my final career—I can use 1–2 years of experience to move into analytics, consulting, cloud, etc. What would you do in my position?

I graduated and have been unemployed for ~3 months and my priority is simply GET ANY IT JOB QUICKLY, even if the pay/work isn’t great, so I can get experience and later switch domains. Someone with 15 years in IT (worked at Apple, TCS, etc.) told me that as a fresher/non-IT graduate, chasing saturated trendy roles like Data Analytics, Data Science, DevOps, Cybersecurity, FDE, AI/ML etc. is a mistake right now. He also said full stack/frontend is increasingly exposed to AI and that getting any first IT job matters more than getting the “perfect” domain. He suggested IT Support Engineer, Service Desk, Desktop Support, Technical/Application Support, L1 Support, NOC/Network Support, IT Engineer, and eventually Network Security/Cloud Admin. He specifically told me to stop focusing so heavily on Data Analytics/Business Analyst roles, which I was preparing for, because of how saturated fresher hiring has become. I know basic Python, am currently doing low-level DSA with Python, and already have some Excel/SQL/Power BI analytics projects, but I have zero IT experience. So is this advice actually correct for the Indian fresher market in 2026, and which path is realistically easiest to break into: IT Support, Network/NOC, Testing, Application Support, Cloud, or something else? If I choose one of these, exactly what skills, tools, certifications/projects and GitHub/LinkedIn/resume content do I need to start applying aggressively and clear interviews? My priority is ANY FULL TIME JOB AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, not necessarily my final career—I can use 1–2 years of experience to move into analytics, consulting, cloud, etc. What would you do in my position?

I graduated and have been unemployed for ~3 months and my priority is simply GET ANY IT JOB QUICKLY, even if the pay/work isn’t great, so I can get experience and later switch domains. Someone with 15 years in IT (worked at Apple, TCS, etc.) told me that as a fresher/non-IT graduate, chasing saturated trendy roles like Data Analytics, Data Science, DevOps, Cybersecurity, FDE, AI/ML etc. is a mistake right now. He also said full stack/frontend is increasingly exposed to AI and that getting any first IT job matters more than getting the “perfect” domain. He suggested IT Support Engineer, Service Desk, Desktop Support, Technical/Application Support, L1 Support, NOC/Network Support, IT Engineer, and eventually Network Security/Cloud Admin. He specifically told me to stop focusing so heavily on Data Analytics/Business Analyst roles, which I was preparing for, because of how saturated fresher hiring has become. I know basic Python, am currently doing low-level DSA with Python, and already have some Excel/SQL/Power BI analytics projects, but I have zero IT experience. So is this advice actually correct for the Indian fresher market in 2026, and which path is realistically easiest to break into: IT Support, Network/NOC, Testing, Application Support, Cloud, or something else? If I choose one of these, exactly what skills, tools, certifications/projects and GitHub/LinkedIn/resume content do I need to start applying aggressively and clear interviews? My priority is ANY FULL TIME JOB AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, not necessarily my final career—I can use 1–2 years of experience to move into analytics, consulting, cloud, etc. What would you do in my position?

I graduated and have been unemployed for ~3 months and my priority is simply GET ANY IT JOB QUICKLY, even if the pay/work isn’t great, so I can get experience and later switch domains. Someone with 15 years in IT (worked at Apple, TCS, etc.) told me that as a fresher/non-IT graduate, chasing saturated trendy roles like Data Analytics, Data Science, DevOps, Cybersecurity, FDE, AI/ML etc. is a mistake right now. He also said full stack/frontend is increasingly exposed to AI and that getting any first IT job matters more than getting the “perfect” domain. He suggested IT Support Engineer, Service Desk, Desktop Support, Technical/Application Support, L1 Support, NOC/Network Support, IT Engineer, and eventually Network Security/Cloud Admin. He specifically told me to stop focusing so heavily on Data Analytics/Business Analyst roles, which I was preparing for, because of how saturated fresher hiring has become. I know basic Python, am currently doing low-level DSA with Python, and already have some Excel/SQL/Power BI analytics projects, but I have zero IT experience. So is this advice actually correct for the Indian fresher market in 2026, and which path is realistically easiest to break into: IT Support, Network/NOC, Testing, Application Support, Cloud, or something else? If I choose one of these, exactly what skills, tools, certifications/projects and GitHub/LinkedIn/resume content do I need to start applying aggressively and clear interviews? My priority is ANY FULL TIME JOB AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, not necessarily my final career—I can use 1–2 years of experience to move into analytics, consulting, cloud, etc. What would you do in my position?

I’m 22F and graduated in May-26 with a B.Tech from a pretty avg clg. I’m now at home with my parents, unemployed, with no close friends and honestly very little clarity about what I’m doing next.

College wasn’t a great social experience for me. I never really found people who felt like they were on my wavelength, and now everyone has scattered for jobs or gone back home. My school friendships also mostly faded years ago, so I don’t really have a social circle to fall back on.

I also didn’t accept a campus placement. The roles being offered were AWFUL with shtty environments. A few major companies I was hoping for, had hiring freezes/recruitment changes during the campus process even though I had been shortlisted. So I graduated without a job.

My immediate goal is to get some kind of job and build work ex before thinking about an MBA or Master's abroad. My B.Tech is in Mech Engg, but I genuinely don't want a traditional mech career. I'm trying to transition into data/IT/analyst roles instead, even though I know those fields are extremely saturated rn...

The other major issue is my weight. I've been overweight for the last few years and it's become a huge source of insecurity. It affects my clothes, confidence, willingness to go out and especially my ability to meet people. I constantly feel like people are judging my body. My problem is that I've never been consistent with dieting/exercise, so I really want to immediately fix myself now even tho i live with the guilt n self hatred for wasting so many yrs already...

I hv fallen into the trap of: lose weight → become confident → start living. but, I'll probably keep finding another reason to wait.

And then there's the social side. I genuinely want friends and people my age around me, but I hate the idea that adult friendships are basically networking now. I've considered joining offline German/guitar/other classes partly because I'd like to learn something and partly to meet people, but many classes near me seem to have mostly school/college-age kids or much older adults.

So I'm wondering:

If you were 22, unemployed, had few/no friends, low confidence, an unclear career direction and a lot of free time, what would you actually do with that year?

How would you structure your days? What skills/certifications/projects would actually be worth doing to build a profile for data/IT jobs? How would you make the unemployment gap look like a period where you were actually doing something?

How would you meet people and make friends at this age?

I don't want to look back at 22–23 and realise I spent the entire year at home applying for jobs, worrying about my weight and waiting for my life to start.

I don't even know if "lazy" is the right word anymore.

I'm 22, graduated two months ago, and I'm unemployed while trying to figure out my career. I keep asking myself whether I'm actually lazy or if I've just been stuck in the same place for the last five years.

The thing is... I know what my problems are.

I know I overthink everything. I know I should get out of the house more, work out, lose weight, stop comparing myself to everyone else, improve my skills, and just stay busy instead of sitting with my thoughts.

But I don't.

for e.g., I'll start walking 10k steps, do it for three days, then stop. I'll tell myself I'll wake up early, then I don't. I know I should read more, but I hate reading. I know what I'm supposed to do, I just don't do it consistently.

I wasn't always like this. I used to be a really bright kid. I was happy. Somewhere along the last five years, idk what happened... I picked the wrong degree, spent most of clg feeling lost, and now I'm watching everyone else move on with their lives.

Most of my school and college friends have moved to different cities for work. I'm still in my hometown. At 22, making friends doesn't even feel like making friends anymore, it feels like networking.

I turned down a couple of low pay job offers because I genuinely knew they weren't right for me. I don't regret that decision, but it hurts when I see most people took sth, r doing sth, while im stuck again in my head. Life is at a standstill, almost.

I'm also overweight, and I've been overweight for years. That's on me. I had four or five years to change it, and I didn't. Every time I go outside, people have some advice about my weight or ask what I'm doing now that I've graduated. Sometimes it feels like "unemployed" and "overweight" have become my entire identity.

A few nights ago I was thinking about my grandpa. He passed away 7 years ago, and he was my best friend growing up. It suddenly hit me how much time has passed. Physically I've grown up, but mentally I still feel stuck somewhere in the past.

Then I start worrying about the future too. My parents are getting older. We have health issues at home. I know in a few years there'll probably be conversations about marriage because that's just how life works where I live. I know if I want to have control over my own life, I need to become financially independent first.

And instead of doing the work, I just... worry.

I compare myself to old classmates who have jobs, moved out, and seem so much further ahead. I know comparison is pointless, but my brain keeps doing it anyway.

I honestly don't know how to get out of this cycle. I'm tired of feeling like I'm wasting my twenties before they've even really started.

I don't even know if "lazy" is the right word anymore.

I'm 22, graduated two months ago, and I'm unemployed while trying to figure out my career. I keep asking myself whether I'm actually lazy or if I've just been stuck in the same place for the last five years.

The thing is... I know what my problems are.

I know I overthink everything. I know I should get out of the house more, work out, lose weight, stop comparing myself to everyone else, improve my skills, and just stay busy instead of sitting with my thoughts.

But I don't.

for e.g., I'll start walking 10k steps, do it for three days, then stop. I'll tell myself I'll wake up early, then I don't. I know I should read more, but I hate reading. I know what I'm supposed to do, I just don't do it consistently.

I wasn't always like this. I used to be a really bright kid. I was happy. Somewhere along the last five years, idk what happened... I picked the wrong degree, spent most of clg feeling lost, and now I'm watching everyone else move on with their lives.

Most of my school and college friends have moved to different cities for work. I'm still in my hometown. At 22, making friends doesn't even feel like making friends anymore, it feels like networking.

I turned down a couple of low pay job offers because I genuinely knew they weren't right for me. I don't regret that decision, but it hurts when I see most people took sth, r doing sth, while im stuck again in my head. Life is at a standstill, almost.

I'm also overweight, and I've been overweight for years. That's on me. I had four or five years to change it, and I didn't. Every time I go outside, people have some advice about my weight or ask what I'm doing now that I've graduated. Sometimes it feels like "unemployed" and "overweight" have become my entire identity.

A few nights ago I was thinking about my grandpa. He passed away 7 years ago, and he was my best friend growing up. It suddenly hit me how much time has passed. Physically I've grown up, but mentally I still feel stuck somewhere in the past.

Then I start worrying about the future too. My parents are getting older. We have health issues at home. I know in a few years there'll probably be conversations about marriage because that's just how life works where I live. I know if I want to have control over my own life, I need to become financially independent first.

And instead of doing the work, I just... worry.

I compare myself to old classmates who have jobs, moved out, and seem so much further ahead. I know comparison is pointless, but my brain keeps doing it anyway.

I honestly don't know how to get out of this cycle. I'm tired of feeling like I'm wasting my twenties before they've even really started.

I don't even know if "lazy" is the right word anymore.

I'm 22, graduated two months ago, and I'm unemployed while trying to figure out my career. I keep asking myself whether I'm actually lazy or if I've just been stuck in the same place for the last five years.

The thing is... I know what my problems are.

I know I overthink everything. I know I should get out of the house more, work out, lose weight, stop comparing myself to everyone else, improve my skills, and just stay busy instead of sitting with my thoughts.

But I don't.

for e.g., I'll start walking 10k steps, do it for three days, then stop. I'll tell myself I'll wake up early, then I don't. I know I should read more, but I hate reading. I know what I'm supposed to do, I just don't do it consistently.

I wasn't always like this. I used to be a really bright kid. I was happy. Somewhere along the last five years, idk what happened... I picked the wrong degree, spent most of clg feeling lost, and now I'm watching everyone else move on with their lives.

Most of my school and college friends have moved to different cities for work. I'm still in my hometown. At 22, making friends doesn't even feel like making friends anymore, it feels like networking.

I turned down a couple of low pay job offers because I genuinely knew they weren't right for me. I don't regret that decision, but it hurts when I see most people took sth, r doing sth, while im stuck again in my head. Life is at a standstill, almost.

I'm also overweight, and I've been overweight for years. That's on me. I had four or five years to change it, and I didn't. Every time I go outside, people have some advice about my weight or ask what I'm doing now that I've graduated. Sometimes it feels like "unemployed" and "overweight" have become my entire identity.

A few nights ago I was thinking about my grandpa. He passed away 7 years ago, and he was my best friend growing up. It suddenly hit me how much time has passed. Physically I've grown up, but mentally I still feel stuck somewhere in the past.

Then I start worrying about the future too. My parents are getting older. We have health issues at home. I know in a few years there'll probably be conversations about marriage because that's just how life works where I live. I know if I want to have control over my own life, I need to become financially independent first.

And instead of doing the work, I just... worry.

I compare myself to old classmates who have jobs, moved out, and seem so much further ahead. I know comparison is pointless, but my brain keeps doing it anyway.

I honestly don't know how to get out of this cycle. I'm tired of feeling like I'm wasting my twenties before they've even really started.

I don't even know if "lazy" is the right word anymore.

I'm 22, graduated two months ago, and I'm unemployed while trying to figure out my career. I keep asking myself whether I'm actually lazy or if I've just been stuck in the same place for the last five years.

The thing is... I know what my problems are.

I know I overthink everything. I know I should get out of the house more, work out, lose weight, stop comparing myself to everyone else, improve my skills, and just stay busy instead of sitting with my thoughts.

But I don't.

for e.g., I'll start walking 10k steps, do it for three days, then stop. I'll tell myself I'll wake up early, then I don't. I know I should read more, but I hate reading. I know what I'm supposed to do, I just don't do it consistently.

I wasn't always like this. I used to be a really bright kid. I was happy. Somewhere along the last five years, idk what happened... I picked the wrong degree, spent most of clg feeling lost, and now I'm watching everyone else move on with their lives.

Most of my school and college friends have moved to different cities for work. I'm still in my hometown. At 22, making friends doesn't even feel like making friends anymore, it feels like networking.

I turned down a couple of low pay job offers because I genuinely knew they weren't right for me. I don't regret that decision, but it hurts when I see most people took sth, r doing sth, while im stuck again in my head. Life is at a standstill, almost.

I'm also overweight, and I've been overweight for years. That's on me. I had four or five years to change it, and I didn't. Every time I go outside, people have some advice about my weight or ask what I'm doing now that I've graduated. Sometimes it feels like "unemployed" and "overweight" have become my entire identity.

A few nights ago I was thinking about my grandpa. He passed away 7 years ago, and he was my best friend growing up. It suddenly hit me how much time has passed. Physically I've grown up, but mentally I still feel stuck somewhere in the past.

Then I start worrying about the future too. My parents are getting older. We have health issues at home. I know in a few years there'll probably be conversations about marriage because that's just how life works where I live. I know if I want to have control over my own life, I need to become financially independent first.

And instead of doing the work, I just... worry.

I compare myself to old classmates who have jobs, moved out, and seem so much further ahead. I know comparison is pointless, but my brain keeps doing it anyway.

I honestly don't know how to get out of this cycle. I'm tired of feeling like I'm wasting my twenties before they've even really started.

I don't even know if "lazy" is the right word anymore.

I'm 22, graduated two months ago, and I'm unemployed while trying to figure out my career. I keep asking myself whether I'm actually lazy or if I've just been stuck in the same place for the last five years.

The thing is... I know what my problems are.

I know I overthink everything. I know I should get out of the house more, work out, lose weight, stop comparing myself to everyone else, improve my skills, and just stay busy instead of sitting with my thoughts.

But I don't.

for e.g., I'll start walking 10k steps, do it for three days, then stop. I'll tell myself I'll wake up early, then I don't. I know I should read more, but I hate reading. I know what I'm supposed to do, I just don't do it consistently.

I wasn't always like this. I used to be a really bright kid. I was happy. Somewhere along the last five years, idk what happened... I picked the wrong degree, spent most of clg feeling lost, and now I'm watching everyone else move on with their lives.

Most of my school and college friends have moved to different cities for work. I'm still in my hometown. At 22, making friends doesn't even feel like making friends anymore, it feels like networking.

I turned down a couple of low pay job offers because I genuinely knew they weren't right for me. I don't regret that decision, but it hurts when I see most people took sth, r doing sth, while im stuck again in my head. Life is at a standstill, almost.

I'm also overweight, and I've been overweight for years. That's on me. I had four or five years to change it, and I didn't. Every time I go outside, people have some advice about my weight or ask what I'm doing now that I've graduated. Sometimes it feels like "unemployed" and "overweight" have become my entire identity.

A few nights ago I was thinking about my grandpa. He passed away 7 years ago, and he was my best friend growing up. It suddenly hit me how much time has passed. Physically I've grown up, but mentally I still feel stuck somewhere in the past.

Then I start worrying about the future too. My parents are getting older. We have health issues at home. I know in a few years there'll probably be conversations about marriage because that's just how life works where I live. I know if I want to have control over my own life, I need to become financially independent first.

And instead of doing the work, I just... worry.

I compare myself to old classmates who have jobs, moved out, and seem so much further ahead. I know comparison is pointless, but my brain keeps doing it anyway.

I honestly don't know how to get out of this cycle. I'm tired of feeling like I'm wasting my twenties before they've even really started.

I don't even know if "lazy" is the right word anymore.

I'm 22, graduated two months ago, and I'm unemployed while trying to figure out my career. I keep asking myself whether I'm actually lazy or if I've just been stuck in the same place for the last five years.

The thing is... I know what my problems are.

I know I overthink everything. I know I should get out of the house more, work out, lose weight, stop comparing myself to everyone else, improve my skills, and just stay busy instead of sitting with my thoughts.

But I don't.

for e.g., I'll start walking 10k steps, do it for three days, then stop. I'll tell myself I'll wake up early, then I don't. I know I should read more, but I hate reading. I know what I'm supposed to do, I just don't do it consistently.

I wasn't always like this. I used to be a really bright kid. I was happy. Somewhere along the last five years, idk what happened... I picked the wrong degree, spent most of clg feeling lost, and now I'm watching everyone else move on with their lives.

Most of my school and college friends have moved to different cities for work. I'm still in my hometown. At 22, making friends doesn't even feel like making friends anymore, it feels like networking.

I turned down a couple of low pay job offers because I genuinely knew they weren't right for me. I don't regret that decision, but it hurts when I see most people took sth, r doing sth, while im stuck again in my head. Life is at a standstill, almost.

I'm also overweight, and I've been overweight for years. That's on me. I had four or five years to change it, and I didn't. Every time I go outside, people have some advice about my weight or ask what I'm doing now that I've graduated. Sometimes it feels like "unemployed" and "overweight" have become my entire identity.

A few nights ago I was thinking about my grandpa. He passed away 7 years ago, and he was my best friend growing up. It suddenly hit me how much time has passed. Physically I've grown up, but mentally I still feel stuck somewhere in the past.

Then I start worrying about the future too. My parents are getting older. We have health issues at home. I know in a few years there'll probably be conversations about marriage because that's just how life works where I live. I know if I want to have control over my own life, I need to become financially independent first.

And instead of doing the work, I just... worry.

I compare myself to old classmates who have jobs, moved out, and seem so much further ahead. I know comparison is pointless, but my brain keeps doing it anyway.

I honestly don't know how to get out of this cycle. I'm tired of feeling like I'm wasting my twenties before they've even really started.

I don't even know if "lazy" is the right word anymore.

I'm 22, graduated two months ago, and I'm unemployed while trying to figure out my career. I keep asking myself whether I'm actually lazy or if I've just been stuck in the same place for the last five years.

The thing is... I know what my problems are.

I know I overthink everything. I know I should get out of the house more, work out, lose weight, stop comparing myself to everyone else, improve my skills, and just stay busy instead of sitting with my thoughts.

But I don't.

for e.g., I'll start walking 10k steps, do it for three days, then stop. I'll tell myself I'll wake up early, then I don't. I know I should read more, but I hate reading. I know what I'm supposed to do, I just don't do it consistently.

I wasn't always like this. I used to be a really bright kid. I was happy. Somewhere along the last five years, idk what happened... I picked the wrong degree, spent most of clg feeling lost, and now I'm watching everyone else move on with their lives.

Most of my school and college friends have moved to different cities for work. I'm still in my hometown. At 22, making friends doesn't even feel like making friends anymore, it feels like networking.

I turned down a couple of low pay job offers because I genuinely knew they weren't right for me. I don't regret that decision, but it hurts when I see most people took sth, r doing sth, while im stuck again in my head. Life is at a standstill, almost.

I'm also overweight, and I've been overweight for years. That's on me. I had four or five years to change it, and I didn't. Every time I go outside, people have some advice about my weight or ask what I'm doing now that I've graduated. Sometimes it feels like "unemployed" and "overweight" have become my entire identity.

A few nights ago I was thinking about my grandpa. He passed away 7 years ago, and he was my best friend growing up. It suddenly hit me how much time has passed. Physically I've grown up, but mentally I still feel stuck somewhere in the past.

Then I start worrying about the future too. My parents are getting older. We have health issues at home. I know in a few years there'll probably be conversations about marriage because that's just how life works where I live. I know if I want to have control over my own life, I need to become financially independent first.

And instead of doing the work, I just... worry.

I compare myself to old classmates who have jobs, moved out, and seem so much further ahead. I know comparison is pointless, but my brain keeps doing it anyway.

I honestly don't know how to get out of this cycle. I'm tired of feeling like I'm wasting my twenties before they've even really started.

Im 22F, recently graduated clg, and currently unemployed. i didnt pick the CS/IT route for clg, thinking it would be sth different to pick a core field like mech. 4 years after, i hv nothing but regret, obviously. In todays time of everything negative n depressing, like AI, people sending out 100s or 1000s of job applications and still no calls, no jobs for the people, no happiness for people, everyone is spending their lives depending in this 1 or luckier, 2 income source. I think mosyt people in corporate atleast, r just 1 layoff away from the grt depression of their lives:) As someone who is also trying to set foot in this market, like everyone else, trying to navigate life with not not career but also personal issues, how do I look at the situation, or world in general, in a more positive light? Like for example, I always wanted to leave the country to move out. I wanted(still want) to experience different cultures, better developed socities, sth called WLB maybe, no honking, no corrusption etc etc. The funny thing is, just 10 years back, this would be a perfectly SANE demand to make, if not one praised for having. Just cause its 2026, even saying. the words "i want to try n live my life how i want to, by trying to leaving through any means" like a MAsters degree, or some otehr attempts, sounds like a delusional joke. Everyone, everywhere, onm all my social media feeds, is yapping abt why its abad idea to move out, why its bd idea to enter IT field, why its a bad idea to simply exists ;) How do i stay strong, keep my dream on top of all this noise, self doubt, under confidence and do the things I always wanted, or atleast try to do them. How do i become stronger and just take the leap? Ik its hard, staying unemployed, not getting one chance at anything is hard. I know myself, at a job, I'll be good. IK y worth, but it seems like the hwole universe is hellbent on making life shittier, harder for me adn everyone else. Its just Im not good at fake posting good stuff on my social media, I know It'll be a pathetic attempt on my side to stay relevant and pretend im good, when i Know im struggling/.JOb market, immigration, personal dreams, timelines, family issues, how does one navigate thru it and makes sth of themselves? ANy one got any stories to share? I'd love to heard some good ones, and ill try to imagine myself in yours:)

I'm 22F, graduated engineering a couple months ago, currently unemployed and so I have a lot of time alone with my own head right now and none of it is good.

My brother is 28. He's had a rough track record his whole life honestly, he was a difficult kid, got into serious trouble in school including stealing money from staff and getting caught on CCTV, and my parents and grandfather always let it slide because "he's just a boy, he'll grow up." He's actually turned it around in the last few years, decent job now, 14 LPA, first genuinely good thing in our family in a while. My dad had cancer in 2022 and our house has been heavy ever since, so we all kind of held onto my brother's job as the one good thing we could point to.

Now he's found a woman on a matrimonial site he wants to marry. LET ME HIGHLIGHT, HE DOES NOT LOVE HER, as in a love marriage. She has type 1 diabetes since birth, both her parents are dead from health complications, her sister has some kind of blood disorder too. She has no job, barely any education, and lives in a completely different city than either of us. Every doctor my mom has consulted has told her this is a bad idea given the genetic risk for any kids. On top of that he wants to move back to our home city with her and live with our parents, which given everything above sounds less like starting a family and more like handing my parents a dependent to take care of while he goes to work.

My mom is also sick right now, liver infection, resting at home. My dad's still dealing with the aftermath of his cancer. This is genuinely the worst possible timing for my parents to take on more caregiving responsibility, and I don't think my brother sees it that way because he's so focused on the fact that this might be his only shot at getting married at all.

I've been telling my mom straight up to call the girl and tell her we will not be supporting this marriage and they cannot live with us. My mom is stuck in the middle, she wants the family together, she's even offered to move cities for him, just not with this particular woman. I've tried talking to my brother myself but he's basically shut me out completely, he won't hear it from me at all. I don't want my dad to be the one to talk to him or to the girl either, because my dad is not a calm person, he's toxic in his own way even if it's not physical, and I know for a fact that any attempt from him is just going to make my brother angrier and more stubborn, not less. So somehow it's just my mom carrying this entire conversation alone, and I hate that, but I don't see another option.

Honestly, at this point I'm okay with my brother cutting ties with the family over this if that's what it comes to. He's been nothing but a source of stress since he was a kid, and I know my parents would genuinely be calmer without this fight. The problem is I know that would put everything on me instead, being the one kid left to look after two parents with health issues, and I don't know if I'm willing to give up my own plans for that. I want to move out of country eventually and I don't want to feel guilty for it later, but I know if I make that choice I'd basically be leaving my mom to deal with my brother's mess by herself, and she's already been sacrificing her whole life for this family. I don't talk to my dad much either, he's basically an older, richer, more "accomplished" version of my brother in terms of personality, so it's not like he's someone I can lean on for this.

So, AITA for pushing my mom to shut this down instead of letting my brother make his own choice? And separately, am I the asshole for still wanting to leave this country and build my own life when my family is in this state?