The Game of Life. Actually.

The Game of Life should probably not be played by recent graduates.

I played it tonight with a couple of friends, and I have to say, I got pretty upset about life after university. First of all, I became an accountant. And while there's nothing wrong with accountants, it's definitely not the way I saw my life going. Then, despite allegedly earning a $70,000 salary, it took me ages to start earning any money. Probably because I kept buying Molly's artwork.

Things didn't really get much better after that. I stopped gaining life experience after about 15 minutes, I became obsessed with earning money, I was in what seemed to be a loveless marriage (my plastic figurine didn't seem to have an emotional connection with my husband-character plastic figurine), I never had any children while everyone else managed at least two and the only property I owned was a log cabin near Lake Ketchafishee.

Not only that but Carlo kidnapped one of Molly's grandchildren, Laura developed severe depression as a result of a stagnant career and poverty, and Molly tried to blow up a bridge.

I was getting very upset about the way this game was showing my life turning out.

We stuck with it though - through the poverty, career uncertainty, family troubles and periods of hopelessness we kept spinning the wheel, hoping it would get better.

And when I turned my LIFE cards over at the end I discovered I'd done great things. I'd found a new energy source, written the great American novel, created a new teaching method, had a huge success with a toy invention, been given a humanitarian award, started a health food chain, won a Pulitzer prize, invented a new ice cream flavour, won a lifetime achievement award and, best of all, I'd become the president. And I know it's just a game, but I felt some little flutterings of pride.

I like to think that I can learn something from this - maybe about the value of perseverance, the power of a little faith, or how to accept that the game of life is just going to go the way it's going to go.

Or maybe I just learnt that recent graduates shouldn't play the game. We clearly read too much into it.

What You Can Do With a Bachelor of Arts

So after three years of hard work (ha!), long nights (of drinking) and personal growth (thanks to said drinking) I have finished my degree.

I knew this day was coming, but in the end it sort of snuck up on me. One minute I was writing "Portable Music and the Urban Experience", and the next I was clutching a glass of wine on my couch giggling slightly hysterically.

My housemate came home to find me like this, and was amused, but also slightly concerned and he asked me why I was freaking out.

"I have this really big essay due in tomorrow."

"Shouldn't you be finishing it, instead of drinking?"

"Ah, that's the problem. It IS finished." Cue hysterical giggling.

He clearly didn't understand how this was a problem so I cleared things up for him.

I'vefinishedmydegreeandnowIdon'tknowwhatI'mgoingtodowiththerestofmylifemaybeI'llgobacktoschoolanddoanotherdegreeormaybeI'llmovetoIndiawhatifnoonehiresmeandIspendtherestofmylifelookingforajobanditsucksmaybeI'llbecomeastrippernoIknowI'mgoingtomovetoAfghanistanI'vealwayswantedtogototheMiddleEastmaybeI'lldohonoursandjuststayatschoolforev... (The hysteria was rising.)

He sat down beside me and patted my arm. I was touched, and surprised as he's not normally a comforting person.

"Hannah, listen to me. Don't worry about anything. You have a Bachelor of Arts. You'll have no trouble getting a job - they're opening a new McDonald's in town!"