What is life really like after you graduate?

I laugh slightly at the irony of it all; as I sit here at the age of twenty-two, having moved back to my family home, with not much money to my name and still not really sure what my next move will be…writing an article about life after university. I suppose my agenda is to comfort and assure.

I remember my final exam, after reading hundreds of books over the three years of my English Literature degree, and honestly just didn’t know where to look, what to think or how to feel. Finally, my mind could let go completely, and that’s what felt strange. It’s an unusual and intrinsically contrasting mixture of emotions. On the one hand: relief, euphoria, no more work, let's go and drink ourselves to oblivion and rave about how we’ve got through university…we did it! The other side is an inevitable sense of loss at the prospect of leaving university life and Leeds, my northern home away from home in London, where I have made at least one best friend for life.

For our lives up to this point, everything had been planned or pre-disposed; you go to school, you go to sixth-form or college, you go to university, then it’s time to be an actual real-life grown-up adult. Now, for some, this sounds like a dream, but to others, like myself, it was too much. I hadn’t planned my life past that point. My timeline went university and then… blank. When I was younger, I thought it would all be fine and slot into place, and some mature adult mind would take over and take control… but, being reflective, I suppose that’s who I am now!

If in doubt: take a year out. That was my rough plan, a bit of a safety net, and a well-deserved break after being in education since reception (wow, sounds so awful, doesn’t it?). So, I had a very different sort of summer: one where I had absolutely no deadlines or obligations to anyone or anything. I saved up money working in a little pub and went travelling around South America for a couple of months. Having never gone backpacking before, I was convinced that this would be my chance to ‘find myself’ – all that peace and love malarkey. To some extent, I did find out a more about myself, and travelling is amazing, and I would recommend to anyone (get in touch if you are interested). It is a wonderful experience to explore the world, see extraordinary things and meet unforgettable people.

I returned from my travels and started the inevitable: exploring options and making decisions. My gap year doesn’t technically end until September of 2019. The important question I had to ask myself was: what do I want to do for a career? Such a complex question; with way more than one clear answer. So to answer this question, I raised more questions: what are your objectives? And, being such a geek at heart, and missing the structure of university life, I turned to my usual revision methods, creating some self-imposed homework and goals. As, ultimately, this is what you have to do after university. There’s no one else to tell you or direct you in the right direction, it is all up to you, your decision to make.

There are so many different options, of which I am confident will feel right for everyone, subjectively, of course. If your objective is money, then recruitment is a reliable and secure first step. However, you can earn money and experience doing internships and apprenticeships with companies in industries you are really interested in. Alternatively, you could find an easy part-time job to earn money to continue travelling, take a second-gap year, or undertake a masters degree if you just aren’t done with learning.

The endless potential possibilities for your future are daunting. But that’s life, right? Is it easier to conform to what others around you are doing? Or are you daring enough to take the risk and pursue your real dreams that can seem totally out of reach: actor, singer/songwriter, author? What is holding us back from reaching for the stars? I think there is only one life, and I don’t want to waste it doing anything I am not passionate about. My main piece of advice is: do not let fear hold you back. You’ve come this far and been successful; who or what is to say we can’t continue this past the life of educational institutions?