What to do if you have zero plans after university

The end of third year is finally in sight and you look back and snigger at your chubbier, more immature first year self and wonder how you ever managed to go out more than twice a week and stay alive until now.

All you see for the formidable future is your 2:1 teetering on the edge between an underwhelming word count and thesaurus.com, but in just under two months uni will be over and what a terrifying prospect that is.

No doubt some of us will be thinking to the future and where we see ourselves in the next few years, but for those of us who have absolutely no idea, what you can be sure of is that this is to come:

You’d rather live with your parents than carry on learning

Sure, a Master’s is a great way of keeping that Uni flame alive. It’s that ideal liminal space between not quite having the commitment of a full time job and your family being proud that you’re ‘still pushing yourself academically’ when really you’re just fucking around at Uni for another year.

But there’s that awkwardness about a Masters that means you’ll be living in a mix-matched student house a bit like a box of Celebrations as most of your good friends had 3 year courses and have left and your friend’s friend you’ve met once had nowhere else to go but live with you.

Ever heard of overdoing something slightly? I mean who actually doesn’t feel done with learning after 17 years plus of education? Yes, your parents are annoying and they ask SO MANY QUESTIONS about EVERYTHING, but to me, living back at home is better than having to do a 15,000 word dissertation at the end of the year.

This could be a house of complete strangers

It seems to be the only conversation that comes up, ever

Why is this suddenly everyone’s favourite topic? Must I be reminded that my brother/sister/cousin/- insert irrelevant family member- secured a great graduate job just out of Uni? And why are my family so concerned? They literally don’t understand that we’re not living in post-war Britain anymore, there is not as much of a rush to find a job, and yes I still will be just as employable if I go travelling next year.

I even find myself bringing it up in awkward small chat then immediately regretting it when Sarah goes on for twenty minutes about the four assessment centres she did last month and the £30K grad scheme she just secured for next year. Cool. What am I up to? Oh taking a year or two off I guess.

22 is a better age to go travelling than 18

I’d like to think I’m slightly less ignorant about the world than I was when I was 18. When we left school after sixth form, we were still so young and I didn’t really know that a gap year was a thing. I’ve had four years to realise that there is a lot I want to see.

Woweee

You can’t help but compare yourself to everyone else

I’m actually really secretly jealous that Sam got that internship, but it is with an Accountancy firm and I do study English and struggled more than I should have with GCSE Maths. Shit maybe I should have studied something slightly more vocational. Again, 18 is far too young to make any important life decisions.

Give up and admit defeat

At the end of the day, I’ll be devastated to leave Uni but not so sad to say bye to education. We’ve just got to suck it up and be happy (spiteful) for those who have secured grad schemes or Masters and ask our family and friends to just stop judging us for having absolutely no idea what we want to do just yet, thanks.