What happens when you leave uni?

The academic year is coming to an end and for us final year students our time in Lincoln could be coming to an end as well. Whether you have plans lined up for after uni or you have no clue what the future holds, it can be a scary time regardless (I know I’m feeling pretty scared).

Finishing uni

I’ve now handed in my last assignment of university. Since the day we started it has been 955 days, but after those three years of hard work and dedication it has come to an end. I must say it was quite overwhelming and knowing that everything is now in the hands of the people marking it is scary. All that’s left now is to figure out what’s coming next in the rest of my life.

While my degree ended in May, I will still have a little bit of time here in Lincoln and can make the most of exploring it one last time, and I hope you get the opportunity to do this too. I plan on making a bucket list of all the things that I want to do with my friends to make sure I make the most of it (Daisy Made is definitely at the top of my list, if I can get there…)

Getting a job

It’s the scariest question but it’s the one on everyone’s lips: what are you doing after uni, do you have a job yet, what are your plans? I don’t have an answer yet, but I really need to work something out so that I can wow everyone at my next family gathering (and have a way to pay the bills, that would be good too).

I’m planning on looking into graduate internships or full time permanent positions, but there are hundreds of options you could go into and even more ways you can search for them! Throughout my degree, I have done lots of work which can be shown to employers and I’ve had to keep track of it all by building up a portfolio (even just something simple on WordPress or Wix is enough). The likelihood of having to interview for a job is also high (I’ve found this video below really helpful to prepare me for interviews), and, while daunting, it can be a rewarding experience (and they’ll definitely get easier as you do more).

Social media is currently extremely important in the world of employment and so making sure your social media is all okay is a must. Whether you need to go through the process of cleansing your profile or just think that you need to up your social media game and do better at it, as I discussed in this post (which I hope will help you!), there are lots of dos and don’ts to social media.

Staying in education

Unlike me, you may feel that leaving education straight away isn’t right for you and decide to stay on and do a Masters; this can involve a complete change in how you learn, how you are assessed, and how you manage yourself, and so it’s a good idea to get prepared.

Moving out

Next comes moving out. Whether you’ve decided you’re going to move back in with your family or you are flying the nest permanently and heading for a house share or flat on your own (I’m not even sure what I’m doing yet, so if you don’t know it’s okay); there are going to be some similarities and differences to living in student housing. Wherever you end up, make sure you find the right place and make it your own once you’re there, and everything else will fall into place afterwards.

Graduation

The big day is here – a celebration of everything we’ve achieved and a time to reflect on what society says are the best years of your life. Graduation for the University of Lincoln takes place in September and I’m already getting ready and preparing everything (this post definitely helps me out with that). I’m definitely looking forward to just sitting back and enjoying it and walking across that stage with pride (and then going out to celebrate).

Everything afterwards

With graduation comes the end of our university experience; however many years you’ve completed, how much effort you put in or how you feel about the experience – it’s all over. In a year, or even just six months from now, we will look back and remember the feeling of graduating with our degrees, not the stress and every other emotion we felt getting there. Most importantly: don’t forget the friends you made and the place where you spent your university experience, the city of Lincoln.