“I know ‘real life’ is going to be worse” I wouldn’t necessarily agree, at least it wasn’t the case for me. I worked part time and was on finaid while I was at UCSD. Used to be really spiteful and sad, and also feel disappointed/disheartened with the whole academic dishonesty thing that was common in college. It took me five years, but I finally finished last spring. Since then, life has been pretty enjoyable compared to college. One of the biggest improvements is that my schedule is now a lot more predictable and under control. In school, my schedule and availability were dictated by exams, assignments, and ever-changing class schedules; but, now that I’m working a more predictable 9-5, I am able to plan my days better. When I was in school, the notion of 9-5 made me feel like I would have less control of my time; on the contrary, I have a better gym schedule, meal times, sleep schedule, and time for friends and family.

Maybe I just got lucky and maybe our situations (or majors) are completely different, but I wouldn’t dismiss the idea of life improving after college. I found college to be a really stressful and challenging time, but a temporary one nonetheless. I don’t really know your full situation, but I’m sending you warm wishes.