With the return to lectures after Christmas many people will be confronting, perhaps for the first time, the unpleasant fact that they will be graduating from university this year and need to begin thinking about what to do next – if they haven’t already.
Today we’re looking at some of the steps you can take to prepare for your emergence from university into the wider world.
Somewhere to Live
Following on from a full course of studying, it’s unlikely you’ll immediately have the funds to afford your own home – or possibly even a room in a shared house. It’s more likely that you’ll spend at least a few weeks or months living with your family before you’re ready to move out.
You might find space is limited – your old room could well have been given over to siblings or lodgers or given over to a new purpose like a home study. If you have to fit into a small space than you anticipate, it’s worth making one last use of a student storage deal to keep excess items safe until you’re able to set up in your own home.
Filling Time
Your final year at university fills the days fully: lectures, final exams and work on a final project or dissertation mean you always have something important to work on.
Unless you’ve fallen straight into a career you’ve always dreamed of, you may find yourself struggling for a sense of purpose of direction. You’ll also be isolated from the friends you’ve made over the course of your studies: from your daily routine to your social life everything is disrupted.
It’s important to fill your time effectively to maintain momentum. If you have a career in mind you want to focus on, it’s important to apply for graduate programs while you still qualify. Your university likely had a careers service who will be able to help you.
It’s important to set yourself goals to make sure you’re using your time effectively. If you don’t achieve anything, you can lose motivation and even become depressed. It doesn’t have to be career focused: fitness goals are a good way to give structure to a week. You could also consider saving up for something, be it a deposit or a period of travel.
Hopefully this advice can help you transition to a happy, productive post-study life.