Adjusting to life after University
For many students, navigating next steps after university can be tough. Ellie, who recently graduated from the BA Photography course at York St John, shares how reconnecting with what makes her feel grounded and reaching out to family and YSJ’s Launchpad career’s service, supported her to find her next step and guides us through the process of adjusting to life after University.
After graduating from York St John with my bachelor’s degree, I was not ready to progress to ‘real life.’ I was burnt out, detached from the subject I studied, and not ready to start a professional career. I knew a lot of my classmates felt as the same, and I’m sure many of the new graduates will be feeling this too. It’s an unfulfilling feeling, and it took me a long time to alter my perspective.
Losing Independence
Few recent graduates are granted the privilege of leaving university and moving straight into their own place and I was not the exception. After finishing my bachelor’s degree, I moved home with my parents as I’m sure many of you will have too. As frustrating as this can feel, it’s nothing to feel ashamed of. With the current climate, it was a responsible financial situation, or that’s what I kept telling myself!
Returning home, I didn’t realise just how much independence I would be giving up, or even just how much I had gained in the years I was away. Suddenly, I couldn’t eat what I wanted, or go out whenever the mood struck me, it felt like a teenager again.
I found creating a new routine that balances with my family’s lifestyle to be very helpful. I set boundaries that allowed me to keep a sense of independence and I made sure to acknowledge how fortunate I was to feel welcome back home. Many are not blessed with this, so if you are, please cherish it.
Overcoming Burnout
The hardest obstacle I faced after university was overcoming burnout. After three years of always having one foot on the peddle, I was way past rock bottom. I had lost all passion for my chosen subject, all hope of starting a specialist career, and the only thing I sought after was rest. Luckily for me, I had access to the time and space to do this.
Over the next year, I took on fixed-term internships and jobs to create income and experience. The rest of my time was spent recharging, reconnecting, and trying to rediscover some passion within my life. I found small joys in cooking, hiking, and reading. I started creating again and even found a new career avenue through one of my internships. Following this avenue led me to my current master’s degree course, and I am feeling a lot more fulfilled for it.
Managing Expectations
Almost two years on, I still vividly remember my bachelor’s degree graduation day. Walking across the stage, shaking hands, and being handed my scroll. I expected to feel overwhelming pride but instead was met with uneasy dissatisfaction. I remember thinking “Three years of blood, sweat, and tears for this?”
The achievement of obtaining my degree didn’t feel like it was worth the effort I put into completely it. Granted, I had not yet used my degree, but that feeling of unfairness struck me. I remember speaking with my peers during the ceremony and learned this feeling was largely shared.
I was able to remedy this perspective by learning to measure myself by my efforts rather than my achievements. Yes, getting a degree, any degree, is an excellent achievement but the effort you would have put into earning the degree i.e. learning new skills, building character, and excelling in your field is what will make you successful, not necessarily the degree itself!
Finding New Purpose
While at university, it’s easy to feel like you’re always on the ball. Between classes, workshops, and assignments the days get busy and seemingly never-ending, but when university ends and all that noise stops, it can feel just a little bit too quiet. I remember feeling like I had lost purpose. Despite being entirely burnt out, I still felt the need to be doing something. I wanted to channel this need into something useful to boost my self-esteem and make myself feel I was progressing, so I started working out again, volunteering in my local community, and trying to find work.
I received amazing advice from YSJ’s careers service, LaunchPad. They helped me find internships, improve my CV, and practice for interviews. Their service is offered to all alumni, not just recent graduates, so if you’re struggling to find work and want support, I highly recommend getting in touch with the team. I will certainly be returning to them for future support!
