5 Things I wish I knew…
Before Leaving University
By Original Magazine Intern, Natasha Lee
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Not to be that person that everyone hates to hear whilst you’re a student, but the more industry experience you can get whilst you’re a student, the easier your life will be leaving university. It is more than just having something extra to put on your CV, don’t get me wrong, this is a great plus and the more experience you have the better you will seem to employers but there is so much in it for you too!
I know most university courses will implement some sort of industry criteria into the unit but don’t work your way around it to just tick a box (trust me I have been there) take full advantage. As scary as it feels to put yourself out there to brands/companies/clients, there is so much to gain and it's only in hindsight that I have come to realise this.
Making those connections early on whilst you are still at uni means you have built a rapport with the industry. Once you leave uni and are faced with the daunting task of life ahead, you are already one step ahead of everyone else that’s graduating. You have people in the industry who already know you exist and hopefully if you have got along well in previous interactions, they are more likely to give you some experience or even a job.
Make the most of the people around you, do your lectures/peers know anyone to get in contact with? You are in a much more forgiving position as a student, you can make mistakes and you can learn from them ready for when you leave.
It is really frustrating looking for a job and seeing you need x amount of experience. Getting internships in summer, or any type of work experience you can during uni is going to put you in a much stronger position.
Finally, by getting this experience you will get a feel for how things work in the industry and becomes less daunting once you are out in the world on your own trying to make your way.
Don’t be scared to reach out, people will most likely be flattered if you want their help and are happy to give that to you!
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One thing I wish I did more at University, was to really use all the facilities to the fullest. During uni is the time to experiment and get things wrong. Plan your time to give you the freedom to make these mistakes before you really need to make it work for the deadline. (take it from someone who left everything till the last minute).
Don’t let your own ego or timidness stop you from asking questions, be curious, experiment, go to different departments and see how they could add to your work. I wish I reached out more and put in the effort to learn more skills. Going into the studio really intimidated me, or even working on the computers in uni because I was scared people would be judging me and my work because I didn’t really know what I was doing. Looking back now I realise how stupid that was and that everyone is mostly concerned with their own work anyway. How are you ever meant to learn if you don’t try.
If I felt like I didn’t understand I would give up, I didn’t want to keep asking questions and feel like I was annoying everyone, but the technicians are there to help, use them. It wasn’t until the end of my degree when I realised it wasn’t as scary as I thought. Who would have known where I would be if I found that out sooner!
Once you leave uni, those facilities cost a lot of money and you don’t have the same support network around you to help. I wish I built up my confidence more whilst I had access to the facilities before I left uni because it would make facing the industry a lot less scary.
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Whether you are moving back home, moving to a new place or staying in the same city, finishing uni can feel like stepping into the complete unknown. For most people, it’s the first time not starting a new academic year and having that structure. For me, I have felt very lost in “this in-between stage of life”, where you have no idea what your future is going to look like, and you are mourning the past of what your life once looked like. This is even more heightened when you move back to a small town, and you are very much jobless. Days can feel empty and looking to the future is especially scary, having a routine can help add some sort of structure into your days.
This is not me saying that you must be one of those people that wakes up at 5am and has a 20 step morning routine doing yoga at sunrise. (as much as I dream that could be me, I know I could never). It can be simple, like waking up at the same time every morning, going for a walk in the day, making a new lunch or dinner. Whatever it is, having things in your day that give you some sort of structure can really help give you some purpose and something to get up for. The sooner you can start getting into these routines the better! Then they become a habit and that transition from uni to home can be somewhat easier. Without routine it’s easy to fall into a rut, build them early so they stick.
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You go from living with your best friends, living down the street from them, or seeing the everyday, to then living hours away from each other with different schedules and it feels impossible to see them. Not only are you dealing with the stress of finding a job, but the social aspect of your life is taken away from you too. It can be lonely and isolating making it so important to prioritise these friendships and make time for them. Once you fall into a rut it can be easy to just ignore the world and let friendships fade but keeping those connections is so important. You and your friends are all in the same boat, take comfort in that.
But sometimes you must be the one to reach out and make the plans, get everyone’s schedules, find that day in the diary and make that effort. It most likely won’t be as easy as popping down the road or knocking on the room next door but making that extra effort is so worth it. Plan fun days out and have something in the diary that you can look forward to. I have found having things booked in makes my days easier because I have something to be excited about and puts purpose into my weeks. And if travelling is extra hard, just pick up that phone!
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Leaving university and facing the ‘real world’ can feel daunting. It’s like suddenly you need to know exactly what you are doing with the rest of your life, and it feels like there is so much pressure from the people around with constant questions. Even uni puts pressure on you to find your career and when you are still so unsure, it can be really defeating.
But the more I talk to people, the more I realise that nobody really knows what they are doing, and you don’t need to! Now’s the time to explore, try new things, most people don’t establish themselves in their careers till they're much older. You don’t need to have it figured out, I know it’s easier said than done but enjoy this time and freedom you have now, because before you know it, you’re working 5 days a week with no time for anything. The main message is that you have time! I know it feels like everyone around you has a plan and it all figured out, but everyone is just making it up as they go along.
Going into the professional and industry environments can be really intimidating. The imposter syndrome kicks in, and it feels like everyone knows so much more than you. But I can almost guarantee that everyone feels the same as you and nobody really knows what they are doing. Go in with confidence and a “fake it till you make it” mentality because everyone else is. I know this is so much easier said than done, but feel reassured in the fact that most people feel the same.
