Wow, what a lot of answer before this one.

How about a completely different response...

Lets reframe your problem in terms of being a human.

"I've graduated conception class and I'm just about to be born. My mother is crowning and I'm due to be delivered tomorrow morning. But when I look at athletes like Usain Bolt I think "how can I ever run that fast?".

But here you are, you are a fully fledged human, you've gone through school, you can walk, talk and if you've done a computing course you're pretty intelligent to boot. Nothing to be ashamed of.

Now, did Usain Bolt get born and then suddenly start putting in insane times on the track, or was it a large amount of getting on with life, finding out what he was interested in, followed by an incredible amount of application and then suddenly "Bam!" he was there.

More likely the latter. So don't give yourself a hard time for not knowing what you should be doing. It takes time to work out what is right for you. That is for you, not what your parents think, not what your peers think. What is right for you. What lights your fire. What makes you think *yes this is cool" even when everyone else thinks that is pants.

Its not uncommon to start (and/or) leave your degree having no idea what you want to do.

For me, I was good at school at the O levels (a UK qualification) but I couldn't give a damn about the A levels (required to get into University to do a degree). So I went to a lesser place to do my degree (and as a result not the degree I would have preferred). But I stuck it out (still not having a clue what I wanted as a career) and learned a lot about electronics and stuff that most software guys never learn. During this time I freelanced as a computer games writer.

The end result? After gaining my degree (with commendation) I walked into a job with a job interview at a higher salary than those doing straight electronics and I didn't have change my hair or wear a suit. What? Well at 23 that stuff matters (looking back now, at age 44 I kind of laugh at it, but thats the vapidity of youth for you).

That company went bust and then I started getting more serious. But it probably wasn't for another few years before I suddenly found (by accident) what really interested me. Turned out to be low level software tools. Should have been obvious - all the computer games I wrote were written in assembly, I always liked the low level stuff that no one else could get their heads around. But to see that as a future, that takes more maturity and no surprise that it didn't really manifest until my mid-20s.

I'm often impressed (and amazed) that young people, often still in their teens, seem to know what they want to do. But the real question is, are they still doing it at age 27? Or have they changed course because their early ideas were not correct for them?

In terms of how do I do something as impressive as THAT (whatever that is, Google, SO)? Well, you do it in chunks, just like you do software and everything else in life. You start with the basics, get experience in it. If you're good enough you carry on and get more experience, etc, or you abandon it because you realise that you're not good enough or that its as boring as hell (thats why I don't do comms even though its always been a gold mine. For me, its boring!).

By all means, look at your peers, look at your elders, examine their choices and interests. But examine your own as well. Often what at first sight seems mad/bonkers is actually the real deal. Doing something that you find interesting (rather than just paying the bills) is SO much more rewarding.

Yeah I know as a 23 year old you're focussed on the Audi TT and the cool flat and thus tempted by money rather than sensible career choices, but seriously at some point you'll realise the cool car isn't all its cracked up to be - that girl should like you for who you are, not what you drive.

Seriously, think about it. The not so cool solution may just be the right answer.