my life as it is

When I think about the entire future beyond my education it seems to vast and unexplored that it scares me. So many what ifs spring up. I won't have a 4-year security to lie down in. I won't be living at my parent's house. I will be on my own. I don't know how people around my age do it, with a crappy minimum wage job that barely covers living expenses and no hope for change beyond quitting or getting fired. What do you do? I look at the late 20 somethings at the place I work and I analyze their situation, where did it go wrong? Why are they working a job where I'm working and barely making more than enough to cover my very few and small expenses. How do they make it? I never want to live paycheck to paycheck, where at any moment I could get sick and miss a few days of work and then not be able to pay a bill. Never. How to prevent this? I won't be in the majority of people making under 20k a year, I can do better. I have a variety of talents, I'm motivated to find those elusive jobs that are awesome and pay decent, and I will have a college education. That still counts for something right?