Are you just about to graduate? Chances are you have a lot of debt, a lot of big dreams, and a lot of uncertainty about how, exactly, you plan to achieve them. Graduation can be a difficult transition for many. Here are a few words of advice from someone who’s been there recently.

Get a good answer for the dreaded question. You know the one I mean: “What are you going to do after college?” When most people ask you this question, they expect to hear something like “Oh, I have an internship lined up” or “I’m going into the family business.” They expect a type-A, road-most-traveled answer. But many graduates nowadays just don’t have that type of answer ready. It’s becoming more and more common to live with your parents while you pay off your debt, travel the world before settling down, or job hop for a while before choosing a career. There are good reasons to do all of these things—so don’t be afraid to give a less-expected answer.

Stay out of debt—no more school. Seriously. So many recent grads get a brief taste of the “real world,” then jump back into graduate school—for all the wrong reasons. The thing is, a graduate degree doesn’t necessarily mean more money or better job prospects in some industries. Unless the job you want requires a graduate degree, think twice about adding to your student loan debt. This debt makes it difficult for you to do cool, fun things like starting your own business, volunteering for a year, or leaving a high-paying job for something less lucrative and more fulfilling. The more debt you have, the more limited your options—so do some serious research before deciding to go back to school.

Get used to job-hopping like your dad got used to layoffs. Job-hopping is more in line with current employment trends than staying put. Workers are more mobile—and expendable—now than ever before, and traditional company benefits like health insurance and retirement accounts are rapidly dwindling. By the time you’re ready to retire, company-funded retirement programs may be a thing of the past—so it might be better to get used to taking care of yourself and thinking of yourself as a “free agent” early on. In addition, taking jobs in a range of fields early on can help you settle on a career you’ll really like—sometimes hands-on experience is the only way to judge.

Break big goals down into small steps. It’s easy to dream, but when you graduate, you’ll be expected to start making your dreams a reality. Your end goal might be something like “become a bestselling novelist” or “become CEO of a Fortune-100 company”—these are pretty overwhelming to recent grads with no idea how to start. Before you graduate, it can help to break your big goals down into definable steps—including easy tasks you can do the minute you graduate to work towards those goals. Becoming a best-selling novelist might be impossible right off the bat, but you can start brainstorming ideas for a novel as soon as you graduate or even before.

Graduation is a time to celebrate your past achievements—but sometimes we’re so focused on the future it’s difficult to feel proud about everything we’ve done to get to this point. Take a deep breath, enjoy these last few months before graduation, and take some time to really think about what you want out of life—whether that’s a flexible schedule, a creative career, or monetary success. Write out a list of things you can do just after graduation to make your dream a reality—and even if that includes moving back in with Mom and Dad while you pay off your debt, you’ll be on the right track.