Because 22 is young, that's why they say it. Life expectancy in the UK is around 80, 22 is barely a quarter of that. Why are you ashamed of being a graduate? Gaining a degree is a huge achievement. All you see of your friends and school friends lives is what they choose to show. The chances are that their lives are not as perfect as you imagine them to be. I'm 36 in a couple of months and am doing my second degree. I've never worked in a field relevant to my first degree. Until I met my partner, my relationships have been absolute car crashes, I won't be qualified to practise as a counsellor until I'm 40. That doesn't matter, what other people do with their life doesn't matter. What matters is what we do with out lives, that we're happy with our lives, and if we're not, what can we do to change it? Can you get careers advice from your uni? My unis have offered support past graduation