Welcome to One Oh One!

Hello! Welcome to One Oh One, and the very first blog post of many to come. So, what is One Oh One? To explain that, we need to rewind back to September 2017 - when I (Rebecca) started my MSc research in psychology. My thesis topic: the transition out of education. I can't tell you how many times I would come across articles about the transition out of university and how many people were struggling with some aspect of it. And so when it came to researching the literature, I was taken aback at how limited the research into the transition was in the academic world.

My research involved me interviewing 20 different participants from different degrees about what their transition out of university was like. The similarities across all accounts were that no one was prepared in the slightest for their safety blanket of education to be pulled from under them. Leaving university means letting go of an identity you've held throughout your educational journey - 'student'. You've come out and you're now a fully fledged adult and that comes with expectations. There's the pressure to get a 'proper' job, to save for a mortgage, to be responsible... but do we even know who we are without our 'student' label? Do we know what it means to be an adult, and if we do, do we have the freedom to be an adult? Or are we back living with our parents, being told what to do? Sure, it's only temporary, but it can be incredibly frustrating to feel like you've taken a complete leap back to who you were before your taste of freedom. This transition is perhaps one of the biggest transitions we will make in our lives. We had had everything planned out from this moment on one linear path - school, college, university and now, well, what next?

And so, the idea of One Oh One was born. One Oh One is a place for graduates to come together, to share their journeys on a platform that can be accessed by other graduates. It's a platform to showcase work, to share advice, to realise that you're not alone. It is also a place for me to share my research findings. It's a project for graduates built entirely by graduates. And it can also help those soon to graduate prepare for what to expect. And sometime soon - I'm awaiting the funds to do so - One Oh One will be a printed magazine, with every aspect from the design of the magazine to the writing inside will be the work of graduates.

One Oh One will be a guide for the other parts of the transition that perhaps you weren't prepared to face. Like having to move back home with your parents, or having to work a job you don't like (or doesn't require a degree) because you need the money. I want to create something which can help those graduating, and those new to the transition, feel that they know what to expect because it isn't smooth sailing. Having a degree, unfortunately, doesn't guarantee you success, or a good job. There are many obstacles along the way that you need to be aware of so you are ready to face them. So keep your eyes peeled, because it's coming! And if you are feeling the graduate blues or cheesed off that life after university isn't what you expected, please take comfort in the fact that no one else knows what's going on either. And I hope you take further comfort in knowing that I am hopefully paving the way for a lot more research to come, and with your help - we can offer a resource that can help many graduates along the way!

P.S One Oh One is also the work of my friend and fellow graduate, Lucy Fegan. We will be sharing our transitional experiences soon on the blog.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR CONTRIBUTORS. If you are a graduate and would like to share your transitional experience/offer transitional advice/would like your work featured (perhaps you're a creative writer/photographer/illustrator) please get in touch: oneohonemag@gmail.com. Similarly, if you feel you could contribute to the magazine development in the near future, drop me an email!

If you would be interested in me sending you the findings of my research paper, please get in touch with me over email: Rebecca.Moynihan@hud.ac.uk, or comment down below and let me know!  Follow my blog with Bloglovin