Uni complete. Boy has it been a journey. It’s been full ups and downs. Periods of depression and self-doubt, periods of excitement and joy and it’s a feeling of alleviation just to be able to say “I am done”. To even really deep that a good few times I really wanted to drop out, I felt that I couldn’t do it and this university stuff was a little too much for me but due to having a incredible support system I was able to persevere and finish this chapter of my life.
So now what next? This is something I’ve been thinking about for sometime now and the amount of times I’ve changed my mind it’s been a little exhausting. To be honest I felt under so much pressure. Like although uni can be stressful it provides a clear path, a means to an end, I’m here to get my degree, my uni gives me structure to follow and it’s something I’m used to since this education stuff is something I’ve been doing this for basically all my life. So knowing that it was finally coming to an end had me feeling excited but also a little worried about what’s next.
Pressure. Boy did I feel it and I still feel it now. At the start of my final I sat down and really thought about what I wanted and I wasn’t actually sure so I started to have conversations with my peers to see what they were doing. Many of them were applying for grad schemes or had even secured work due to going on placement, so the logical thing for me was to do the same and follow the herd. So I started applying to lots of different grad schemes in lots of different industries that I had minimal interest in. Many of them got back to me and I progressed to the next stages of the application process but then I just didn’t bother anymore cos I actually deeped it:
1. These applications are probably the longest and most jarring things I’ve ever put myself through in my life.
2. I actually don’t want to work for anyone.
So I began thinking, what is next for me, then I decided I’m not finished with my educational career and I should do a masters. I started researching them and found the perfect masters; I was excited, told my mum, some of my peers like yeah, this is the direction, this is what’s next. Then I thought hmmm, maybe I’ll take a gap year then do the masters. The reason behind taking the gap year was because I’ve basically been stressed non stop for the last 4 years so I felt like I need a year to take a breather and do what I wanted without feeling any pressure. Chill, make some money and bake off. Then I thought hmm, I’m taking this gap year, why not try use this year to really chase what I want, which was financial independence, making money for myself, all me, all my money. Since making that decision that’s something I’ve stuck with. I have 1 year, 365 days to create a lucrative income for myself to live off, an income thats sustainable and has room for growth. If that doesn’t work out I’ll then explore my options and either go on to do my masters or a grad scheme
This dedication towards financial independence is something I started working on from the day I submitted my dissertation and something I’m still working towards on a day to day basis. The way I see things, if I fully give into the system now, I will never get a full year of freedom to really do what I want and chase this independence I so greatly desire. Once the system has you, it’s very hard to escape. So I personally feel that this is the best time for me to do this.
The journey of understanding what I truly really wanted to do next was a rocky one but I eventually got there. What I really want everyone who reads this to understand is, you don’t need to do what your peers are doing. Everyone’s story is written different, we all run at different paces. So take time and do what you want to do, not what you feel like you should be doing based on what your parents or peers are telling you or doing.
Life is a marathon not a sprint and remember it’s your race, no one’s going to run it for you, so run it how you want to run it.
Stay blessed
D1
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