You’ve worked hard, it is time to enjoy yourself and destress!
Congratulations! You have finished university. Completing university is a HUGE milestone, so soak it all in. You did it! I am proud of you!
All your hard work is over for university, bye assignments. You will not be missed! Now it’s time for you to relax and destress.
As a young adult (as a human period) completing university is a big deal!
So pat yourself on the back for getting your degree.
Finishing university is something that not everyone can do. I know of a couple of people who dropped out of university, changed courses or had to retake the year.
Regardless of whether this is you or not, getting university is tough as competition is growing more and more every year! Completing university is extremely stressful yet so rewarding.
Years of hard work (and hard-partying in my case) has come to an end, and now you are free!!
It’s amazing how fast time flies. I remember moving into my residential halls like it was yesterday, and that was almost 9 years ago. What the hell?!
Moving out of your parents’ house into student halls, meeting new people from all over the world, studying, writing assignments and partying. The rollercoaster is now over.
University is over, what now?
I hope you don’t feel rushed to get the ball rolling and jump into the deep end. Entering the world of work and figuring out your career path is time-consuming and draining especially if you don’t take time for yourself.
Although you may have a marketing degree, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will get a graduate in Marketing straight away. Sorry to burst your bubble, but I’ve got to keep it real!
The job market is very, very tough. I’ve had a bunch of jobs, and none have been a graduate position. It is sad to say that having a degree is not the only thing employers look at these days. You’ve got to have the whole package.
But while you hone in your skills and mentally prepare yourself for the job market, take a breath and look how far you’ve come.
First things first, you can now enjoy summer without feeling guilty.
You worked hard all year (especially in final year); completing your dissertation/final project and submitting your final assignments for your grades. Now it’s all behind you.
You’ve done the best that you could so now you deserve to enjoy your time off.
Hang out with your friends, plan trips and take full advantage of not studying anymore.
Once you’ve completed your exams/assignments, you may want to start thinking of the next steps that you need to take.
Perhaps you want to travel, work part-time, dive straight into a graduate position or take a year out to figure out what you want to do, now is a perfect time!
While you figure that out, make sure you schedule in some much needed ‘Me time’ to destress. You’ve been under time constraints and a lot of stress. It’s time to unwind and relax, and you can do that by:
- Getting the sleep that you may have missed out on during study period. Having an adequate sleep is important for concentration, cognitive function and reducing stress levels. During the weeks leading up to my final exams, I had a strict schedule: waking up super early (before 5 AM), workout, go to classes, return home and study. I was not getting the recommended sleep necessary. Therefore I did not perform to the best of my ability, and my grades and everyday functioning reflected that.
- Eat regularly and exercise: Staying fit and healthy helps you to remain motivated, makes you feel good and helps reduce the risks of some conditions such as type 2 diabetes.
- Do activities that you may have put on hold due to university. When I was much younger, I used to do ballet, tap and hip hop dance. Knowing what I know now, I understand the importance of having extra curriculum activities. Having something to look forward to is key! Working on assignments is hard work; you need to have a healthy way to relieve stress! When I can, I am definitely considering picking dance back up again or even trying new activities. It is a great way to practice self-love.
Suppose you decide to go down the work route, good luck to you. I wish you nothing but the best in the workplace, make sure you put your best foot forward.
Fortunately, I know of a few people that we can secure graduate jobs post graduating university. A majority of them managed to secure a job during their placement year by working in the establishment, networking and getting the necessary experience required for a graduate job role.
Most of their roles started in September, and we graduated in July, so they were able to have a couple of months to bask in the sunshine and destress before joining the workforce.
They were able to have fun throughout the summer months and didn’t miss out on experiences because they were stuck at work. When starting in a new position, you should try to work for a solid time; perhaps 3 months to develop a routine in the workplace before taking time off.
Of course, life happens, and you may need to take mental health days if necessary, but you want to showcase your dedication to your new employer. Work can be taxing on both mentally and physically, so I recommend taking adequate time for yourself to decide what you REALLY want to do going forward. It is ok to change your mind. Figure out what your calling/purpose in this life and go for it.
Give it your all and do what feels best for you and You only.
You can do it!
I hope you find the perfect balance after some much needed reflection/down time.
Give yourself a much needed break.
Rediscover yourself first and give back to yourself.
You’ve done well and I’m proud of you.
Stay safe and take care.
