While in final year it can seem like everyone else has a life plan and a clear idea of what career they want, apart from you, I can promise that this isn’t the case. A lot of people leave university with a degree but without anything lined up, moving home for the free rent and cooked meals while they figure out what to do next. Although this latter option sounds less impressive and is far harder to justify when explaining to relatives, there are many benefits to taking the time needed to rest, recover, and plan for the future. So don’t panic. Simply crack on with the rest of your degree and enjoy your remaining time at uni, leaving all other thoughts for after graduation.
After you’ve graduated, start by catching up on all those sleepless nights and get back into a regular routine
At uni, a good night’s sleep is rarely guaranteed and a consistent schedule is near impossible. After graduation, when you’ve packed up and moved away from your noisy housemates and the constant temptation to go out instead of getting an early night, take the opportunity to get rid of those bags under your eyes and regain a healthy routine.
Secondly, keep busy and active
Once you’ve retrieved your old energy and enthusiasm for life, make sure you stay productive. Fill your days with work to earn a bit of cash and meet new people, or focus upon one of those hobbies you never quite had time for at uni. Think back to when you had an essay due in the next day but would much rather have been out taking photos or visiting a new town or travelling the world, and treat yourself to what you previously missed out on.
Thirdly, think about what you might like to end up doing
In between resting and keeping active, contemplate the future and weigh up possible long-term options. There is absolutely no rush to leap into a job you’ll dread waking up for each morning, but if something springs to mind then don’t hesitate to do some research and start asking around. You never know when inspiration will strike you or when the perfect opportunity will present itself, so keep your eyes peeled and your mind ticking over.
Finally, make sure to enjoy yourself
All the things you enjoyed about uni are still options after graduation (bar the lectures and tutorials if you happen to be a more enthusiastic student than myself), so keep clubbing and holding wine nights with your friends and going on day trips and creating memories. None of this has to stop. Just because you’re technically no longer a student, it doesn’t mean you have to completely leave the student lifestyle behind. In fact, you’ll have much more time and energy to focus on enjoying yourself and living it up after graduation.
Remember that life is long and there’s never any rush to move on before you’re ready, so if you don’t know what you’re doing next, take all the time you need to figure it out. Having absolutely no plans can in fact be the most freeing and exciting prospect about graduation because every possibility still remains open to you. There’s no reason why you should settle for second best when you can afford to wait for the job that will make you wonder why you ever dreaded getting one. Life is all about having fun and getting the most out of every single day, so treat yourself after three long gruelling years of work and make sure you’re happy above all else.