As the end of semester one rapidly approaches, the threat of the end of my time at university looms even greater. I feel an impending sense of doom as the end of my final year at Manchester draws closer, and a sudden sense of panic that I’m not making the most of my time at university.
Balancing your time at university can be hard, but it feels even harder in third year, when you’re bogged down with an avalanche of assignments, whilst also trying to make the most of the social opportunities that university offers – because when else in your adult life will it be acceptable to go out on a Monday night or dress up as a cowboy on a random Wednesday? And on top of this, you’re expected to keep up with your reading, apply for grad jobs and master’s courses, and eat three meals a day (which rarely happens). November is notoriously the worst month for students, and I can definitely confirm that this has applied to all three years of my time at university.
I find myself more eager to say yes to things, knowing this might be one of my last chances to do them, and I feel the urge to explore the city I’ve lived in for three years. Suddenly, I’ve decided to explore all the cafes and parks in Manchester that I’ve neglected to visit for three years, and have agreed to go on hikes in the Peak District despite not having a single outdoorsy bone in my body.
And all of this just to distract me from the fact that I am actually leaving at all. Because if you mention to me that I have less than a year left at university, I will swiftly shut you up and tell you never to remind me again. I seem to be doing all these job applications without it properly registering that this means I will actually have to get a grown-up job and go back home until I can afford the atrocious rent prices. There seems to be a split inside my mind between living in a constant state of denial and refusing to address my fears of leaving university, and my sudden reflectiveness on my time here and desire to make the most of it now that it’s coming to an end. I’m filled with nostalgia for a year that hasn’t even ended yet, and everything that occurs this year seems to take on even greater significance than before.
It can be especially hard when you don’t know what you want to do after university. It’s tempting to do a panic masters or find some way of staying in education as long as possible to delay the inevitable entrance into the “real world”. There almost seems to be too many options: masters, grad schemes, internships, apprenticeships, or going straight into a full-time job. The amount of choice is overwhelming, and all of these decisions are reliant on the fact that you already know what area of work you want to go into, which is not the case for many students.
The university offers support and advice on graduate options, and it’s important to remember to be kind to yourself and give yourself the time to properly explore all your options before jumping into something. Despite what LinkedIn says, not getting a job straight away is not the end of the world, and more common than you might think. Try not to compare yourself to other people, as everyone operates at a different pace. In fact, not getting a job may be even more beneficial than jumping straight into one, as it allows you a break from education before you enter the world of work. Many of us will have gone straight from school to university, and to jump straight into work without a break can be difficult and potentially lead you to burn out further down the line.
The title of ‘graduate’ or ‘postgrad’ may sound intimidating, but it might be helpful to shift your outlook. As cliché as it might sound, it can be better to view the end of university as the start of a new chapter rather than the end of one. Whilst this may mark the end of an era of our lives, it also opens up a whole world of possibilities and new experiences. Despite any fears we may have of the early start times of the corporate world, or of securing a job in the first place, you should remember to let yourself go at your own pace, and that life doesn’t end when university does!
