Some of you will remember that back in August I published a couple of posts in which some of my friends offered advice to fellow undergraduate students. Well, on the 22nd March I realised it had been a year since I handed in my Independent Study, which made me reflect on just how different my life is now to how it was then. This time last year I was very nearly done with university! That's a sad thought. I have to admit, I left university ready to never look back. I had grown tired of shared accommodation, having to look after myself, the detachment from my family, and even the constant socialising. I was ready to get home and settle back into village life, which is exactly what I did. I had a very relaxed summer and then in September I launched head first into the PGCE, and honestly, until recently I haven't stopped. However, I've just started at my second placement and I've found that the pace of my life has slowed down significantly, meaning I have more time to reflect. What that has led to is the realisation that I miss uni. I miss seeing my boyfriend every day, I miss being a five minute walk from the shops, I miss drinking cocktails on a Sunday evening, I miss that life. That isn't to say that I'm not happy at home because I am, but I'm also lonelier, less active, and sometimes just bored. Now I know that once I am able to up my teaching hours again I will be motivated by that and should start to feel more settled into my routine at this new school - in fact, I can feel that already as the weeks go on. That will probably mean that I have less time to concern myself with the past, but I know that this won't be the case for everybody. The postgraduate blues have well and truly hit me this month and though I know they're only temporary, I've come to recognise just how hard it can be to leave university behind and go out into the big wide world on your own. I want to offer you my advice and I thought we'd catch up with some of the people who graduated with me in September to find out what they've been up to and what advice they would offer anyone who is soon to become a graduate. It's a big adjustment and one that can take time to accept, so I think it's important to prepare people for that and let them know how we have managed to get through it so far.
Jess (2:1 Degree in English from the University of Lincoln, current Secondary English PGCE student at BGU)
Put effort into maintaining friendships with your uni friends once you leave. When you move away from university you lose so much - the convenience of a city location, the social events, the independence, but you don't have to lose your friends. Put the effort in to keep in touch! That way, when you're feeling a little down about just how much as changed, you can message/text/Facetime or call them and reminisce! They're going to understand what you're going through. You can arrange to meet up too, I try to meet up with my friend Chloe at least once a month, and though it's sometimes difficult, we usually manage to pull it off. We've been to Sheffield, back to Lincoln, and we've met up in Doncaster - next on our list is London! I value our friendship so much because I know she's seen me at my worst and at my very best, and I'm so glad to still have her in my life, so make sure you hang onto your university friends too - believe it or not, you'll need them more once you leave than you ever did while you were there!
Luke, (2:1 Degree in English from the University of Lincoln, currently volunteering in a secondary school and will be beginning his teacher training in summer)
Don't rush, the entire rest of your life has opened up to you! Luke advises you to bide your time and not feel pressured to jump into anything too soon after university. You may feel like you should be beginning your career, finding your own place, settling down... but you're only 21! There's so much time to do all of those things and not as much time to find your feet and take things steady. Just because you're no longer at university, it doesn't meant that you immediately have to find something to replace that experience with. He adds "That being said, keep your eyes and ears open for potential opportunities." Meaning to take things at your own pace, be slow, but not stagnant! Embrace the opportunities around you and start thinking about the future, but don't feel a need to jump into it just yet. The first postgraduate year is a great time to really work out who you are now after those three years away and what you want, let yourself work that out and try different things! Then you can start to finalise your five year plan.
Alice (1st Class Degree in Biomedical Sciences, currently working for Occupational Health England)
Moving away from home isn't as difficult as you'd think as long as you start saving and working on your budget during third year. After moving back home form university Alice found that she suffered from a bad bout of depression, she explains that "It can be so hard and lonely and isolating moving back in with your parents after living just minutes from all your friends for 3 years." Sometimes you get home from university and realise that while everything there has remained the same, you have changed. It isn't easy to fit the mould of your old home and perhaps the best option for you is moving out. If you are currently in third year and think you're going to have a hard time adjusting back to your past life, you should start considering where you might want to go instead! Alice has said that "most people already have their kitchen stuff and living stuff from university so you don’t need to buy a lot! It can be helpful to have some savings before hand, most places request 4-6 weeks rent up front as a deposit, alongside your first months rent. You can find great flats and flatmates on sites like spareroom.com but make sure to meet your landlord or housemates before you sign". So save up and get looking. Alice moved from Yorkshire to London in late 2018 and is absolutely loving it. She has embraced all of the opportunities her new life has given her and as well as working full time, she attends a night class twice a week to learn German.
Chloe (2:1 Degree in English from the University of Lincoln, currently working as a barista and will be moving to Cornwall this summer)
Firstly, I would say not to worry if you feel a bit lost or down after you have graduated. Like me, Chloe has experienced the post-uni blues, but hers came a lot quicker than mine did. She says "it’s completely normal to feel this way and I think you’ll find many people have these feelings, as it’s such a big adjustment to make." With that in mind, if you are finding that you can't seem to get over this little dip, I would add that you shouldn't be afraid to visit a doctor. Your life has changed completely and that's a big deal and sometimes you might need professional help to cope with this - even if it's just somebody to talk to. Chloe also shares my recommendation which is to "keep in touch with friends and make efforts to meet up whenever you can, as I think postgrad life can become overwhelming sometimes, so it’s good to have a ‘break’ from it!" Weekends away, lunches out and quick catch-ups over a coffee are also a form of therapy, you know.
Emily (2:2 Degree in Law from Keele University, currently employed by Pryers Solicitors)
Don't be defeated by the competitive job market. Emily reminds us that "It’s hard especially when you are rejected from jobs that quite frankly you believe you’re over qualified for. But in truth it’s all about getting your foot in the door in the first place". You leave university usually feeling pretty good about yourself, you've got a degree, and then you sit down and start to look for jobs. At first it's exciting, there are so many you like the look of, but the application process is a long one and it can lead to a a lot of disappointment. With every rejection you feel less confident and self-assured, but you have to keep searching! Emily explains that once you do get a job, "you have to work hard and prove everyone else that rejected you wrong. It’s really difficult to feel valued I think, I know for me personally my self worth was substantially diminished applying for literally anything. But you know what you want, and even if your first proper graduate job isn’t everything you envisaged, you can’t give up hope that good things are coming, because they are." She's so right. The job you get when you're twenty-one does not have to be the same job you have when you're twenty-two, or twenty-five, or thirty. Now that you have a degree, the possibilities are endless! Just keep looking until you find something and can gain that essential experience to then potentially move onto bigger and better things.
I hope that some of you found our advice helpful. Enjoy what's left of your undergraduate experience, once it's gone you really will miss it - but know that there are better things yet to come, it just might take a little while to find them. Part two of this blog will be published on Wednesday so keep your eyes peeled for that. Feel free to subscribe so that you never miss an update! I'm going to try and make blogging a bigger part of my life again, which I hope you'll all appreciate. Until then x