WHAT NOBODY TELLS YOU ABOUT THIRD YEAR OF UNIVERSITY

When people talk about university, third year is usually framed as the final chapter. The year where suddenly, everything becomes serious. The word ‘dissertation’ starts coming up, and conversations about the future start happening more often. What nobody tells you though, is that third year doesn’t feel as ‘put together’ as you thought it would, and it is a strong mix of nostalgia, pressure, and uncertainty. You start to realise, that actually everybody was right when they said ‘it would be over in the blink of an eye’. 

The pressure of third year at university feels wildly different to years one and two.  In first and second year, pressure mostly comes from assignments, essays and exams. But in third year, pressure is not just academic anymore. Alongside your essays and exams, you also have to start thinking about your dissertation – the biggest piece of work you will have written to date. But at the same time of this serious work, you have to start thinking about your future, and the topic of ‘life after university’ suddenly becomes unavoidable. It can feel like you haven’t figured everything out yet, but it is important to remind yourself that this is totally normal. There is no rule saying you have to have your entire life figured out by 21, there is always time.

Secondly, what most people don’t know about third year of university is that burnout is far more common than you think.By this point, many students feel absolutely exhausted, and university starts to feel like a chore. You suddenly want to stop going to lectures, you have no energy to do your work, and you just want it all to be over. Even if you are passionate about your subject, there will be days where motivation slips from your grasp, and you’d rather walk across hot coal than open your laptop. From the outside, it can look like everybody else is perfectly productive, but more often than not, they might be struggling on the inside. Three years is a long time, and it is important to note that it is normal to feel to feel tired. It does not mean you are lazy, or that you don’t belong at university anymore, it simply means you need to take a break and regather yourself. Self-care days, seeing friends, and being gentle on yourself are vital at getting through the last few months of university. 

In third year, you might also notice that your friendships start to change. Friendships can shift in ways that reflect how everyone’s lives are starting to move in different directions. Some friends might have their time consumed by job applications, some friends might be thinking about further studies, and you might be preoccupied curling yourself into a ball and ignoring the world around you. Schedules sadly do get busier, priorities change and the friends you see everyday are suddenly a lot harder to catch up with. This can feel strange and isolating at first, but it a perfectly normal part of the transition from university to whatever comes next. Making sure you are there for your friends, and making sure that they are there for you, will help to avoid feelings of  guilt and loneliness. 

So, let’s not beat around the bush; final year is not perfect. It isn’t always the polished, final closing chapter that everyone might imagine. It is stressful, overwhelming and emotional, and there will be moments of doubt and uncertainty. But, it is also a year of growth, reflection and hard work – factors which you will be able to look back on with fondness.  Even when things feel messy, it is a key part of the university experience and it will all feel worth it when you’re walking across the stage at graduation. Therefore, if you are a third year, or a soon-to-be third year, and you feel scared, you are not alone. Work hard and take care of yourself, and everything will be okay.