What Every Graduate Should Read

So after university it can feel like some mega up hill battle. Here is what I wish someone had told me to expect after university. I'm not some expert, just a blogger who has experienced these things or has witnessed others go through the same issues. The solutions may not be for you, I understand that, but I wish someone had sat me down and explained what to expect. 

1) Money is going to be tight

When you're at university you might be poor, have little to no money to do things but it's okay because everyone (vast majority) is in the same boat. You therefore laugh about the amount of pasta you have consumed in three years, and the fact meat became an expensive luxury. You could wear jeans which looked a tad on the old side, and a top which was never in fashion and no one cared. When you leave Uni, the world outside is a very different place. People have money, and expect you to suddenly have money too. Buying birthday presents, Christmas presents, paying for meals, the list goes on... You often feel post graduation poorer and under more pressure financially than when you were at university because you HAVE to fit in. The major reason that you didn't feel like this at uni was because you 'were all in it together' , if your friend ran out of washing powder you would scoop a load into a food bag and take it over, if you ran out of food at least one good friend was likely to pass you some value chicken noodles. If you had problems with the people you lived with, it was okay to spend a night on a friends floor, bed share or sofa surf. These things are all not acceptable outside the uni bubble. 

Solution: Money will be tight. Whether you landed that 20k job or not, there is going to be a period of time where you feel your money is running through your fingers like sand. It will be distressing, but don't loose your cool. It will pass, you will fall on your feet. Give yourself breathing room to adjust, and remember just how far you have made it. If you're still falling short every month even in employment check your bank statements to see where you are spending, make a meal plan to cut back on impulse buys and look into changing providers for your bills (mobile, TV, Car insurance, gas and electric).


2) Finding employment is tough 

 Post uni there is a flurry on social media of people getting 'the dream job'... While you sit there counting your last £10 note praying someone, anyone will employ you. You apply for everything! ANYTHING! Even the jobs which you are wildly overqualified for. It can feel like a hard fist to the face every time you see another status saying 'OMG got the job'... You start questioning yourself; is my CV actually sending? Is my degree official? Am I going crazy? It can be a depressing situation at the very least. 

Solution: Don't panic, like everything it will happen, the competition is harsh and loads of companies never even get back to you. But you will find a job and whatever it is you got that on your own merit. Remember that. Take any job which is offered, it is Far easier to get a new job while you are still employed. Furthermore, employers like to see that you have a good work ethic, and if you don't take any job offered because it's not your cup of tea, it may reflect badly on you. 

3) After Uni can be a lonely place 

Post uni you inevitably loose contact with people who were your best friends, your saviors and your rocks. Somehow everyone changes, it's like everyone gets a personality warping and evolve into someone with the same face, but unrecognizable personalities. It can seem very confusing and like an emotional cliff jump when you realize that graduation is probably the last day you'll every really see them. It can feel a really lonely place graduation, you realize you celebrate your achievements but you also wash away three years of everything you enjoyed... Personally it's a bit of an anticlimax. The other reason for this happening, you will all be super busy over the next few years trying to carve out a career for yourselves. The likelihood of you living in the same area, working the same hours and always booking the same holidays is slim at best. 

Solution: Make time for friends. Any relationship takes maintenance. If you want to spend some time and have fun then set a date, a time and meet up. If your friendships are over it's time to make new friends! This can hard trying to fit it round a job, home and other responsibilities but it is feasible. Find a hobby, attend adult clubs such as sport or evening classes this can really help. 

4) Pretending everything is rosy 

 One of the worst things I found post Uni is I am not allowed to be unhappy with my life... I have to remain constantly pasted with this awful happiness factor where 'my life is going great'. You wake up and in a daze you recite your own words scraped into the wall 'my life is going fantastic'. No one tells you about the dead end jobs, the low paid zero hour jobs or the fact that you end up swept away in a job you never intended to have out of necessity. It results in moments where you are so proud of yourself for getting employment, and kicking yourself hard for a lack of your own dream. You get to a point where you start to feel guilty about your own greed, and remind yourself that not everyone can go to university. You get even more aggravated when people on social media post pictures of their 'great life' when you're like how the hell did they manage that? The reality is... Most people struggle post uni. Most don't have a luxurious life which they portray on social media, and that holiday they booked has probably got them into financial debt. You are not alone in feeling like you're the only one not enjoying your job, feeling undervalued or underpaid and wishing for a better life. Loads of graduates feel this way. No one posts that on social media, and don't forget some people have the luxury of financial support from family. 

Solution: Don't kick yourself! You are going to make mistakes along the slippery road of employment. Remember you are in a better position than some to find a job, and continue progressing in that job. If you hate your job find a new one! It is much easier to swap jobs than to become unemployed. If you can't get your dream job because of a lack of experience try internships, or working for free in the evenings. It might lack that needed paycheck, but in the long term working your butt off is a desirable trait in any employee. 


5) You will now have a thick skin 

 One thing which is positive is you realize just how resilient you are. You jumped through all those hoops, some on fire, and you walked out the other side. There were points during your degree where you felt like the world would swallow you whole, but you waded through and you're here today reading this. There were books which were so utterly uninteresting, and assignments which you would have traded your little finger to not write.  No one tells you how hard some things are, and some will never understand because they got lucky. 

Solution:  Reward yourself for even the smallest successes. Every baby foot forwards is a tiny step into a larger boot! 

6) You will have to make sacrifices

You will have to make sacrifices and they will be tough! You might have to remain in a low paid job so you have the experience to move onto a larger job, or into further education. It can be hard to justify your actions to other people when you feel pretty down about the whole situation yourself. The sacrifices might be: Taking low paid employment, working in a job you dislike, working far more than you are paid for, being prepared to be so flexible you could bend over backwards and lick your elbow! 

Solution: This is a tough one because it's very individual! My advice if you have a long term goal and you're still heading towards that, keep going! To stop you from going crazy try and find something else to fill your spare time which you love.   

7) Partying becomes less fun 

Yes, the one truth no one wants to hear. As undergraduates you were spoiled rotten with cheap nights out which were fun, safe and gave you amazing memories. After you graduate you have to pick your night out around your job and not go into work the next day stinking of stale wine. You have to arrange who is free and who has the night off.  This can mean a less flexible partying timetable, and restricting fun. As well as this you're  no longer welcome in the student bar with outlandish discounts on alcohol. 

Solution: At this point you have two options. Ignore your employment status and party like there is no tomorrow, or be conservative and accept there are going to be limitations on that lads night out/ladies night out. You can always book to go away together in groups to party whole weekends away!


8) Remember you're not alone 

Sometimes graduating can feel like a very lonely time. Although you're probably pleased that all those massive assignments, exams and the DISSERTATION is out of the way, it can be a time of distressing change. However you're feeling, happy or sad, there will be people all over the country feeling exactly how you do. You really are not alone and not one person I know has made it out scratch free. What you learn now will serve you well forever. 

Solution: If you really feel alone find a forum to join, discuss and get help. It can be a great comforter when you realize you're not the only one. 


9) Continue to learn 

I went about setting myself skill challenges to see how fast and easily I could learn. I learnt to Knit (yes a great skill but I made an amazingly warm 100% wool scarf),  garden ( I have a whole blog on this HERE), photography (shall show below), drive, make a blog, raise and breed tropical fish (tropical mollys), learned paper craft, nail art and design. There are so many more, but you realize how great learning is. 

Photography

Paper craft


I planted all these from seed, before this I had no idea how to garden

My first knitted scarf 

The tropical fish and their babies 

Learned how to blog about products

Learnt by myself how to do nail art techniques 

Solution: The only issue with learning skills is you will need money for some of them. Many of them are hobbies. Mine were relatively inexpensive with the exception of driving. Take something you enjoy and make it a hobby worth doing. If you have no money then take up a free library membership and read! 


10) Smile you made it! 

So many times do I forget this. You have a degree! Well done, it was hard work and you will have learnt so much you don't even realize. A degree gives you so many skills, organisational skills, presentation skills, public speaking, independent thinking, deadline driven, creative thinking and so many more! Yes, there are tough moments... But everyone learns from experience. 

Solution: Smile!


My motto: 
Remember the mountain you climb is only as big as you decide. Always remember, no one expects you to climb it all at once. 

I hope you enjoyed reading this. Please feel free to comment. 

Laura x