Whether we like it or not, uni eventually has to come to an end. Some of us only have one more year of student living to go, before… the hard bit – choosing what we actually want to do with our lives. For some, the future relies in the degree they have taken but for some it isn’t that easy. You can’t just ‘do’ English in real life and get paid for it (oh if only…!), so what do you do when you don’t know what to do? As an Undergrad in her penultimate year of an English degree, I can’t claim to be any kind of expert on what happens next, but to make the future that little bit less scary, monstrous and frankly terrifying, I’ve explored some of the options.
If the thought of leaving your student life behind (not to mention your monthly SAAS) leaves you in a cold sweat then why not do it all over again?! Maybe not ALL of it, but a postgrad is always a good option if you are passionate about your course, or even another that you didn’t study before. The PG isn’t for everyone and for some, four years of being a poor struggling student and library overnighters has been enough. But in the long run, studies show that although your starting salary may not be higher than your average undergraduate degree, over their careers those who chose to do a Postgrad earn more. Postgrad courses can also change your career direction completely if you pick up a conversion course. You can do these courses in subjects from Law to Psychology but everything you need to know is essentially crammed into one year, so Her Campus can only wish you luck with that one!
If another year at the mercy of the library sounds like hell, why don’t you look in to addressing the gentle nagging in your subconscious that’s telling you to get out there into our ever shrinking world? So, to gap year or not to gap year? We all know what it’s like to be trawling through your Facebook timeline (avoiding an essay) dying with jealousy as the reams of photos full of clear blue seas, deserts, bright markets and tiny local children seem to take over the vines of kittens falling off sofas. These beautiful sights are no longer restricted to the summer months, and not just to students taking advantage of their endless summer holidays. One more year of skiving responsibility before the world of work takes over sounds pretty good to us! Not to mention the tan…
It seems like a no brainer, but being a bit of a home-bird myself, the thought of setting off with a rucksack on my back, with no access to dark chocolate digestives or BBC iPlayer for the foreseeable future pretty much terrifies me. There’s no denying that being well travelled could serve you well in the work place; coming back with a ‘Bar Crawls Around the World’ t-shirt isn’t going to win you any favours in your interview, but if you keep your CV at the back of your mind when you make your plans you can definitely style it out and impress future employers to boot. Working abroad is tough, but you will absolutely improve your communication and initiative skills without even knowing it. So as long as you can spin your CV into a reflection of worldly wisdom, then I’d say that taking a gap year isn’t a bad plan. I know plenty of twenty-somethings who, now with a foot on the career ladder, would give their left arm to go back and take a year out as they face the rest of their working lives with four weeks holiday a year. Besides, who doesn’t want to pick up a tan and meet lots of new people against a backdrop of beautiful architecture, beaches and mojitos.
Of course, the reality can be less peachy. There’s the minor issue of paying for your trip. Although you may be living rough and ready, flights and the cost of living varies from country to country and that without doubt means some time living at home on the bread line, working as many hours in any job you can find to fill your piggy bank. There’s also the career gap to consider; what can you put on your CV for that whole year or more that you spent trotting the globe, whilst some of your competitors worked on an Internship gaining valuable experience? What about after you’ve made your money and hopped on the plane, you find yourself alone in the middle of nowhere, sweating, with food poisoning and no one to feel sorry for you because you seemingly got everything you ever wanted? Reality is certainly not as chocolate-box-perfect as your Facebook feed makes out, but one thing is for sure, you’ll never know if you don’t take the risk. As for me, I think it’s about time I was pushed out of my comfort zone and did a little globe trotting of my own – what was it Tinie Tempah said? Gotta risk it for a dark chocolate digestive biscuit?!