Four years ago my 21 year old self sat in my first staff meeting smack dab out of college learning how to use International Baccalaureate practices in the Spanish classroom. Four years later, I remember that there is nothing quite like the awkwardness of being the only person under 30 in a room of 30 or having to act like you know what you’re doing when you truly have no idea.

College, when you’re surrounded by other young people, does nothing to prepare you on how to interact with people aged 40 and up, nor does it do anything to prepare you for being the only one who has no idea what they are doing. What can prove to be helpful, as I learned when I started a local support group for other young professionals, is to learn what situations to expect in the workplace as a young millennial, what you will want to do and how you should react.

Situation A: Getting sugary grins instead of responses after you communicate.

At a meeting your boss will ask for some kind of feedback. “I’m just a dumb millennial” you think. “Silence, young Jedi!” But then after everyone in the room shares their mind, you raise your measly hand. “I got this!” Suddenly you are met with sweet, sugary smiles only Nana will give you. It’s because the young pup talked. How cute! That millennial!

You'll want to: Scream “I’M AN ADULT!!!!!! MAN!!!!!!!”

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What you do: Realize that most of these people are old enough to be your parent and see their kids in you. Play this to your advantage when you make a stupid mistake as you surely will.

Situation B: You can’t afford to dress like an adult.

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Realizing the need to dress older than your colleagues so you can avoid Situation A, you go to Macy’s thinking a blazer commands respect. Then you realize that your blazer is what you were planning to spend on your entire wardrobe.

You want to-Forget being an adult and wear Forever 21 and BE forever 21 years of age.

What you do: Ross, baby, Ross. Heck, even Goodwill.

Situation C: You might get sexually harassed.

You’re young and attractive with mostly older people, and you’re in a vulnerable position at the bottom of the totem poll. I saw some of my friends in other jobs’ assigned opposite gender mentor might refer to himself as “Mr. Grey” and herself as “Anastasia Steele” for her “adult learning sessions,” your male coworker might ask to take you bikini shopping after telling you how nice you look and your boss might book an overnight conference for just you and him alone at a hotel.

You want to: Well, you yourself can’t answer that from being too numb of disgust.

What you do: Depends on your workplace, but you might tell HR, talk to a trusted co-worker, or even confront the individual. Never, ever, ever do anything that feels uncomfortable. Stand up for yourself as soon as it starts.

Situation D: If you’re a teacher, you will be mistaken as a student.

Most people have a hard time telling apart the difference between someone in their teens and their 20’s, so be prepared to be mistaken for a middle schooler.

You want to: Scream “Did you even look at me and my teacher ID and my heels??”

What you do: Shake it off, shake it off! Lol, no seriously laugh out loud.

Situation E: You will fail, and with the right job your co-workers will catch you mercifully.

My biggest failure as a teacher was when I was instant messaging my boyfriend now husband about a challenging day with my most difficult student during my planning. She walked by my desk and saw the whole thing. I had to have a conference with the school’s founder, her parents, and the middle school chair and apologize, be reprimanded and then apologize to the student. Not only was I wasting my planning but I destroyed a young teen’s self-esteem. And yet my boss still rehired me every year until I moved.

You want to: Hide in your shame.

What you do: Blossom from those who say we need grace in the face of each other.

Situation F: You will fail, and with the wrong job your boss won’t stop you from falling.

While teaching my first job I picked up a second job teaching night classes to save up money for grad school. It was my first year teaching, and I didn’t really know what I was doing and it showed. Unlike my main school where my boss and colleagues alike invested in me, this boss just didn’t rehire me at the end of the year. TBH, I completely get why she didn’t. But it still sucked.

You want to: Look up the company that fired you and give them a one star rating on Google and lauuugh.

What you do: Be really sad and figure out what you did wrong and where to go from there, then swear to take on a young employee one day despite their shortcomings.

Situation G: One day, you will thrive.

And you’ll be the millennial that fits right in, except for that misunderstood “Yolo” reference.

You want to: Get cocky.

What you do: Keep learning from your wiser co-workers.

Oh, to think one day WE will be the old ones!