Student? Former student? Graduate? Unemployed?

Since the age of about four, when you first begin nursery, you've known either consciously or subconsciously what's coming next. Or rather your parents did and that's all that mattered. Nursery, reception, primary school, secondary school and then it's either a job or college/sixth form and then university. I'm at the extremely difficult transitional phase of moving from student to responsible adult. I don't actually know what to call myself. I'm no longer a student, but still awaiting my grades and graduation, I'm not a graduate either. Does that make me unemployed? I've just moved out of the student house I lived in for two years and am now back home, in my parent's house, my room littered with bin bags full of the clothes I have yet to unpack. Since arriving home I have scoured the newspapers and websites for jobs and so far have applied to as many as I can count on one hand. And I know I am not alone. Speaking to many of my friends in the same position, it seems that the unanimous feeling is "There are no jobs for me." Most of us still don't know what we want to do and there is a ridiculous amount of pressure on us to land ourselves a career immediately. Students do get a hard time. They (the majority) work hard at getting the best grade they can in each piece of work they submit, join many societies/additional activities and generally try to do the best they can to better themselves and give them a leg up for their future. Only to be bumped out of university with no idea of where to go or what to do next. I did go to careers advice a couple of times but felt the same helplessness walking out as I did going in. It might be too much to ask, but I feel that students about to go out into the working world need much more support than they are currently getting. And a bit more understanding from those who feel that students are lazy young people unwilling to work.