The myth of ‘everyone else knows what they’re doing’
Written by Kortext ambassador Neha and reviewed by our team.
Sometimes it feels like you’re supposed to have it all together, with a plan and everything sorted out.
Some students may know which industry they’d like to go into, which city they’d like to live in and are feeling proud, with a graduate job or a post-graduate degree, feeling enthusiastic and ready for the future.
For some, it all feels completely not real yet, students who are feeling completely bewildered by all the options and are worried about making the wrong choice.
If you’re one of these students then trust me, you’re not alone.
The ‘everyone has it all figured out’
The unspoken expectation is that after graduating, you should have a clear and concise plan. You’re expected to know what you’re going to do, who you’re going to work for, how it’s all going to go down.
This is definitely not the case for many. There’s definitely a proportion of students who have this already sorted. They’ve secured a graduate job, are part of a graduate training scheme or have applied and been accepted on to a post-graduate degree and feel excited and prepared for what’s to come.
Then there are those students who just have a general idea. Maybe they know that they want to be working in a particular industry, or they know that they want to be living in a particular city, but the specifics haven’t quite formed yet. And then there are students that feel utterly clueless, totally overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices in front of them and with the pressure on to make the right one. These are all perfectly normal reactions and positions to be in.
The post-assignment emotional roller-coaster is one of the most surprising parts of completing your degree. No one talks about how much of an emotional change there is to endure.
For years you have been working towards a very specific goal. Every essay you’ve written, every lecture you’ve listened to, every exam you’ve sat, have all had one direct purpose – to help you get to this point. When all that is taken away from you, it can be quite destabilising.
You might think that you will feel immense pride the second you submit your final assignment, when actually all you’ll likely feel is a vacant hollowness. There’s no immediate prize, no instantaneous sense of achievement.
It can take some time for the reality to dawn on you and to feel the full extent of your feelings.
So, what are the pathways after graduating?
The beauty of after university is that there is no right and wrong path. For some, they get a full-time job straight after they finish. For others they may travel the world, take time to recuperate or try out a few different ventures. Some may choose to pursue a post-graduate degree, others will look to begin a creative project or get some freelance work, whilst others will move back home to regroup. The paths are all so varied.
In my own situation, I’ve always been drawn to business and real estate. I enjoy the mixture of strategy, people and the ability to grow long term. While not every part of my plan is in place, I know that is the direction I’m moving in and at this stage, that’s okay. It’s fine for you not to have your entire path figured out. You just need to be going in the right direction for you.
What advice can you give to a first and second year?
Well, many of you would have been thinking about what you want to do after university already and for those of you who aren’t quite there yet, what I would advise is this: begin exploring your options, even if you are nowhere near ready to commit. Go to some events, talk to people who work in areas you are interested in and research the jobs you are going to want to pursue.
Build small skills in all areas, as they will always compound over time. Utilise the support around you – careers services, society networks, personal tutors and not to forget the digital textbook service on Kortext to refresh on topics or get summary notes. Most importantly, do not compare where you are in relation to others, everyone has a different pathway.
And finally…
Your degree is not your story; it’s just a chapter within it; your chapter where you begin to become independent and write your own story. You have a right to take your time, you have a right to change your mind, and you have a right to discover.
Whether you are stepping out into the business world, taking a break to take a deep breath and recharge your batteries or exploring a path of business and real estate as an industry and figuring out your journey step by step, remember that you are not behind or lost; you are where you need to be.
