Coping with change: Post-University
How Big is the Change?
University is a time for exploration and discovering yourself. However when the partying has settled down and you are finishing your final dissertation in your last year you may find a niggling feeling of the daunting unknown sifting it’s way into your mind. 49% of students surveyed admitted that their mental wellbeing declined after leaving university. Trading 2 pm wakeups, passion projects, and drinking with your friends for a 9-5 full time job, mortgage, and feeling more tired than ever before can be difficult for many to adjust to. Nursery, School, and College have taught us that all paths lead to the climax of a university degree, the pinnacle of any normal individuals goals, however the statistics may surprise you. Around 28% of all 2018 18 year olds actually go to University, a 2% decrease from 2017.
Coping with Change
With the growing importance placed on practical experience rather than academic ability, businesses are increasingly hiring from within their own organisations, especially as internal hiring requires less training and can show that they are investing in their employees. This has been damaging the job security for many university postgraduates seeking employment after uni in recent years. A method some have adopted to attempt to quell the bad feelings associated with finishing uni has been to write down what they want to achieve in the future, altering parts every few weeks so it fits inline with their changing opinions. This can include desirable starting salary, particular subject of work they wish to engage with, and businesses that interest them. This keeps their goals up-to-date and their plans regular. Doing this, in turn, reduces the amount of stress you may be feeling; although everything rarely goes to plan, having that foundation, however unrealistic, is useful; especially when you are beginning to question yourself.
Practical Advice
Another good method to identify what type of job you might want to do in the future is to apply for internships, although highly competitive, if accepted, these are a real way to both gain practical work experience and to metaphorically ‘dip your toe’ into the waters of the working world. Some jobs, ofcourse, require an extensive academic background to even get started. Doctors, scientists, and lecturers are the bedrock for society and its growth. The largest and most unique advances in technology, medicine, and philosophy always begin their roots in classrooms across the country, From Hawking to Darwin. It is important to recognise that you may never be as revolutionary and or visionary as these people; but researching, double-checking, planning, and contemplating your own desires, achievements, and goals is vital to understanding what you can do after a degree to make sure you are content, comfortable, and most importantly, active.
Adapting to change can be uncomfortable, and when you look at your friends you may think they have everything sorted themselves but you can be sure you are never alone in how you feel and the key is to remember to stick by your friends and family, and always strive for something better. The student bubble has finally popped, time to be a part of the “real world”.
