Navigating the Unknown

The unknown is scary, unsettling, and downright confusing.

When I was in the midst of finishing my HBA, I thought that the end of sleepless nights, heavy books, and mounds of essays would deliver a job. I never thought that the job would be the job, but I assumed I would be hired by someone somewhere, where I'd eventually move through the hierarchy and find myself with the job. Graduation came and went, and I don't really know what to think anymore. Life isn't what I expected, and instead of navigating the shiny halls of a fancy work place, I'm navigating the unknown.

Nearing the end of my degree I realized that I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I think to older generations that sounds irresponsible, but my generation lives in an entirely different world. We exist in a time when social media is prominent, when job security is scarce, and where we are convinced that the more we work the happier we'll be, yet we aren't. Every part of our lives is a constant competition, and like any game or contest, the more players you have, the lower your odds of winning become. So, I graduated with great grades, a fancy diploma, and an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach.
University didn't answer all of my questions, it didn't set me on a path, it only made things more complicated. I don't want to be misunderstood though, I loved university, even if I'm still reaping the not so pleasant reward of good grades: the constant thought that perhaps I've become a failure since I'm not walking down the halls of that fancy work place. University was a time where I met many unique people, studied things I both hated and loved, spent countless hours gossiping between classes with friends, and where talking about the future felt thrilling in the best sense of the word. Yet, university also gave me a sense that it would solve everything. I don't blame university, I blame high school and everything before it.

University was more real than any other schooling I'd experienced, even if I did feel safe. High school on the other hand was a mess of failed promises. I was taught by people who had no conception of the reality of my generation, something for which I can't blame them entirely, but something that I wish that they as educators had cared to learn more about. My peers and I were constantly told that we had to get good grades to get into a good university, where we would then have to get good grades to get into a good grad school or a good job. We were told that things would move smoothly, that the reason for university was to bypass having to work mediocre jobs. We were constantly fuelled with a false reality that in essence was supposed to keep us motivated, but it's only made life that much harder. (Kudos to any establishments that have more realistic standards of teaching).
Our realities are completely different. Sure, there are the lucky few for whom life panned out in the picture perfect way that was predicted in those stuffy high school classrooms, but for most of us, we're figuratively standing in the middle of the woods, ironically replaying the chorus to a Taylor Swift hit.

Navigating the unknown terrifies me, and although I strongly believe that one day everything will work out, I can't help feeling inadequate in my abilities. I can't help comparing myself to others and questioning what I'm doing wrong. Yet, I have enough strength in me to comprehend that I'm not doing anything wrong, that I'm simply building my path in life differently, but the thought is still difficult to swallow.
How do you feel about navigating the unknown? Is life going the way you pictured or are you still trying to find a way out of the woods like I am?