A new One Oh One

Picture this: It’s 2017, I’m a few months away from graduating with my undergraduate degree in psychology, and naturally (/obviously!), I’m having an existential crisis. What happens next? The question on my mind, and what Clare Dykchoff had found a question on many graduates’ minds in her 2013 Independent article, ‘Graduate blues: Why we need to talk about post-university depression’. I had read Clare’s article one morning when walking to my 9am lecture, on a quest to figure out if other people were dreading leaving university just as much as I was. I had done as much as I could to reduce the uncertainty I faced. I lined up a publishing internship, a part-time job at a coffee shop, and decided to move back home to save some money. But I still could not shake that sense of dread, because I felt a weight of expectations above me, from myself, and the wider society. Despite the fact I hadn’t yet tentatively thrown my cap in the air (because if you lose the rented cap, you’re buggered), I was definitely feeling the blues and I worried it was only going to get worse. Clare’s article had really lit a spark in me, and so when it came to choosing my topic for my MRes degree, I decided to explore the transition out of university, with it being such an under-researched area in academia at the time. 

I really loved conducting that research. I loved speaking to graduates about their experiences of leaving education behind and taking a jump into a world outside of the bubble we had come to know and take comfort from. More than anything, I loved how it made me feel less alone. Though I worked hard to not inject my own personal experiences into my research (cos BPS guidelines), I couldn’t help but feel some reassurance when a participant would disclose feeling a way I had felt, or had the same worries, or faced the same challenges as I had.  I wanted to take my research further, and I wanted other graduates to feel that same sense of, ‘okay, I’m not alone in this…’ and so in 2019, once I had finalised my thesis, One Oh One was born. 

When I first graduated in 2017, the world was a totally different place… And again, when I started One Oh One in 2019, we look back to that time now, in the middle of the ongoing pandemic, and see a world that is so unrecognisable to the one we live in currently. And all of this change has made me hesitant to put the spotlight on this project I set up and I took a little back step. Because there has been so much change since I first graduated, and even more so since 2019. I worried that I would not be able to offer the support that some recent graduates may need, because I couldn’t begin to understand the difficulties that 2020/21 graduates are facing as a result of the pandemic, I couldn’t imagine how challenging it must be to graduate in these times, with so much more uncertainty looming than I ever had to face. Coupled with the fact I’ve just recently turned 25, I worried that I was no longer #relatable, but the fact is, I am still struggling, even so many years on from graduating, to find my place in the world (inclusive of the working world). And I know so many others are, too. 

And I miss writing, I miss connecting, I miss sharing your stories. So I will be picking up the metaphorical pen, and going ahead with a new One Oh One. This space will still be for graduates, and I will still continue to share my experiences and research, your stories, your work… But as a running theme, I want to move to a focus on your 20s in general. Regardless of whether you hold letters behind your name, your 20s are T O U G H.  One Oh One will become a space to acknowledge this. So, watch this space. 

What can you expect from Camp USA? Meet: Leanne - Business Studies graduate (BBS)

https://the-irish-graduate.com/
Instagram: @theisrishgrad
Twitter: @theirishgrad_

Hey there, my name is Leanne and I have recently completed my undergraduate degree in Business Studies from Dublin City University. As part of my degree in my third year, I undertook a 12-month work placement with Irish Rail within their Commercial Department. As I was nearing the end of my placement, I knew I wanted to make the most of my summer before I started my final year and entered “adulthood” thereafter. Most third-level students in Ireland, will at some point go on a J1 to either the US or Canada. I always had an interest in going on a J1 Visa but the traditional J1 experience of working in a bar or bike shop never really appealed to me. That is where the J1 Camp Counselor Visa comes in. Up until this point I had never been away from home for more than two weeks, let alone travel solo. But I was up for the challenge!

I completed the Camp USA application process and I was hired by The Fresh Air Fund as a Leadership and Debate Specialist. Camp Mariah is one of six of camps operated by The Fresh Air Fund who work with children from underserved communities from the five New York City boroughs. The camp I was placed in was unique in that not only was it named after Mariah Carey (who also visited us!) but it is a yearlong Career Awareness Program that consists of activities such as job shadowing and career fairs.

My role in camp saw me teach four 1-hour classes per day as well as having immediate responsibility for 6 campers per session alongside my co-counselor. I was constantly working to improve my lessons as well as attempting to have a meaningful impact on the campers through conversation and the sharing of knowledge in and out of the classroom. Given the class that I was teaching, the scope was there to do so.

At the end of session two, I was named as Specialist of the Session, which was confirmation for me that my main lesson objectives had been met (if campers coming up to me outside of class to talk about debating was not already enough). I also got the opportunity to be the interviewer for Business at the Camp Mariah Career Fair. This event sees campers’ interview in various fields that they are interested in and present completed CVs and cover letters that they have worked on in their Career classes. Both times that I did this I was blown away by the camper’s creativity, expert knowledge, and confidence in their abilities; I could learn a thing or two.

Since returning home there has not been a job application form or interview where my experience in camp did not get a mention. In particular, what makes my experience stand out is how I put my almost 10 years of public speaking and debate experience into practice and developed a leadership program centred around it unlike what had been implemented at the camp previously. Additionally, I had the getup and go, the determination you could say to travel on my own to camp, not exactly knowing what to expect. I made it work as well as making friends for life along the way. Employers want to see drive, initiative and your organisational capabilities, my time in camp will be proof of those things for years to come. 

It was from my time at camp that the idea for The Irish Graduate was born. I wanted to share my journey at camp and all that I had learned in a way that could inspire others to do the same. I was meant to be returning to camp again this summer and then set off on a Graduate Visa to the US which would all have been documented on my blog. Whilst this is no longer the case, that did not stop me. The Irish Graduate has become a platform where I share my less than regular university experience (5-hour daily commutes and college transfers) and share the stories of other graduates in the “My Graduate Life” series. Whilst I may not return to camp next year, I hope my story inspires you to go instead.

So, send in your application, pack your bags and head to camp (post- COVID 19, of course); you and your CV will not regret it!

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Follow Leanne's journey post-university: https://the-irish-graduate.com/

Help! What happens when I decide I don't want to go into a degree-related career?

Ellie O'Connell, a psychology graduate, decided after landing a degree-related career that working within the field of psychology wasn't for her. Ellie then decided to take another path and now works successfully as an investment graduate associate at an independent financial adviser. Below she talks about how that felt, what her next steps were after her realisation, and what advice she'd offer to someone who finds themselves in the same shoes after graduation. 

1) How were you preparing to graduate - did you have a plan for your next steps?

I always had the idea that I would complete my undergraduate degree, and then go on to complete a Masters and then a PhD but by the time my third year rolled around I was desperate to leave further education, move back home to Manchester and begin my 'adult' life. In the lead up to the end of university and graduation, I was so stressed out about my final exams and my dissertation that I wasn't thinking about what was next. 

2) Did you have any worries about graduating - if so, what were they?

My only main worry about leaving university initially was finding a job. I was excited to move back home, and be close to my family and friends again. The transition was a lot harder than I anticipated though. I went from living with my friends and being around people all of the time to suddenly living with just my mum and being unemployed meaning that I was alone a lot. 

3) What was your experience like searching for jobs once you had your degree?

Once I had moved home, I went back to work at the local pub and just started scouring Indeed and Reed etc to find any sort of job that had something to do with psychology - but that you didn't need a Masters/ PhD for. I didn't know what I wanted to do, or what my ideal career path was. Searching for a job was a long process, with lots of rejection! I applied for a lot of jobs and didn't get an interview for 3 months. In the end, I only got one interview but luckily I was successful!

4) When did you realise you didn’t want to use your degree directly for your
career?

There wasn't really a point at which I decided I didn't want to use my degree, I just knew I had to change jobs and wanted something that had a lot less pressure involved. The first job I got after university was a Support Worker for young women who had autism, learning disabilities and depression. I found the role really challenging emotionally as if I did anything wrong, it could seriously impact the lives and wellbeing of the women in my care. It was beginning to really affect me so I resigned and worked in retail for a bit. I'm not saying retail isn't hard, but I found the change exactly what I needed. I came to the realisation that for the time being I wanted to do something that was still challenging, but the consequences of getting things wrong were less severe. At that time, I felt like that excluded a lot of psychology based roles.

5) What sort of feelings/thoughts came with that realisation?

The only feeling I really had when I came to that realisation was relief. 

6) What were your next steps then, realising psychology wasn’t for you?

I started to look for any job in any field that would accept someone without relevant experience and I felt like I had so many more options. It was still a struggle to find a non-retail role but I was enjoying myself where I was so I just felt a lot more relaxed.

7) What has been the most exciting part of leaving university and education
behind?

Initially, I was just excited to move back to Manchester. Nottingham is great, but I never really felt at home there. I love living near my family, friends and my cat. I feel like I have a much bigger support system here so I'm overall happier being here, which itself is very exciting. But now I have a full-time job I enjoy and have moved out of my family home, I feel very settled.

8) What has been the least exciting/challenging part of being outside of
education?

The least exciting part about leaving university at first was when I realised the transition for both me and my mum from living in different cities to living together again would not be the easiest. We get on really well, but it was a struggle. I had lived independently for 3 years and suddenly felt like that independence was being dragged away from me. The dynamic had definitely changed, but after a couple of months we settled into a new routine and all was well again. 

9) Is there anything about the ‘real world’ you didn’t expect/weren’t prepared for?

The only thing I wasn't prepared for was how difficult the transition from uni would be. I had to develop a new routine which took some time.

10) Is there anything you wish you had been told about leaving university?

1. Some things are going to be a bit harder than anticipated, but you have got to just take it all in your stride! 2. Everybody else is going through a similar thing
3. Do not compare your journey to anyone else's
4. Make sure you take advantage of every opportunity you get! 

11) Three words to describe your transition from university?

 BIG LIFE CHANGE

12) What advice would you offer to someone who was in your shoes - realising they didn’t want to use their degree directly in their career path?

If you feel like you don't want to use your degree, don't! Everything you learnt and experienced will help you even if it is not obvious. You can always go back to it in the future. Your happiness is the most important thing.

Help! Not ready to say goodbye to education yet - Is a PhD/Masters for me?

If you're currently finding yourself wondering whether to take on a postgraduate degree or not, you may have some questions similar to these below that PhD English Language student, Faye Chambers, can answer:

1. When is the deadline to decide you want to do a postgraduate degree?

I’m not sure there is any deadline really – different schemes may have restrictions but as long as you have a 2.1 or 1st at undergraduate I think you can start an MA course any time in the future, there is no need to rush into anything. I feel like I rushed into postgraduate studies and that might have been a mistake. To get the free MA by research the deadline was having a start date within 12 months of graduating for undergraduate research, so I deferred for three months and started in the January after I graduated. Because I ended up being rolled onto a PhD scheme the deadline for that was very sudden – I had about a week to turn around a funding application and get onto the course so had no time to really consider the decision.

2. What kind of funding is available?

The standard government student loans are available for course fees and living expenses, up to 10,000 a year, but you can borrow less if you don’t need it all. The thing to consider with these loans is that you will pay them back alongside your undergraduate loan so may end up with larger payments each month, but that’s only once you are earning above the graduate wage threshold (currently 25000 a year).

3. Why did you decide to do a postgraduate degree?

Probably for all the wrong reasons! I’m really interested in my subject area [English language] so I think I would have done some postgraduate study eventually, but I don’t think I would have gone straight into it from graduating without the pressure from funding or from lecturers. Our university offered a free masters to students who got a first, but on the condition that you had to start within 1 year of graduating. My grades were really good so I felt I would be wasting an opportunity if I didn’t take the scholarship. The same thing happened with my PhD – I was partway through my masters and PhD funding was offered to me, and my supervisor said she thought I was capable and that it was normally really hard to get funding, so I threw myself into it without really considering why. I am very lucky to have these opportunities but at the same time feel I’ve ended up on a path I wouldn’t necessarily have chosen for myself.

4. I don’t feel ready to leave uni yet… do you think it would be a good idea to stay in education until I decide on what I want to do?

I think if you enjoy studying and have an idea that interests you for a research project then absolutely. There shouldn’t be so much pressure to have a career goal at the end of what you are doing – learning for your own enjoyment is a great thing to do. But if the only motivation behind staying on at uni is that you don’t know what else you want to do I think it would be really hard to manage, both in terms of passing the course and on your own mental health. There are plenty of ways to spend your twenties if you don’t know what you want to do. Try loads of different jobs out with no pressure and see if you like them. Or do any job at all just to get a bit of money together and use the funds to enrich your life outside of work. Do a bit of travelling. Pick up a new skill you have always wanted to try. I don’t think anybody really knows what they want to do for a career so just do what makes you happiest.

5. How much academic support do you receive from your university during a postgraduate degree?

There are taught masters with set lessons more like an undergraduate degree, but with research degrees, most of the planning and work is done by yourself. Usually, universities recommend one meeting a month with your supervisor, and then you can email them questions. There are also courses run by the library and postgraduate team each week if you choose to attend, but these are optional and quite general study skills sessions. There isn’t a lot of contact time at all.

6. Are there many opportunities to get your work published?

Yes, but you don’t need to be a postgraduate to have work published! You will need to turn your research into an article and submit this to a journal in your field. Most journals have online submission guides so you can format your work to match what they are looking for, and they will review it, then come back to you with a decision. I suppose being a postgraduate will help because you will have more practise at academic writing and see work from fellow researchers, but you still have to put the work into your paper separately from your uni work. Also, submissions are judged blind so what matters is the quality of the paper, and not whether you’re an undergrad or a professor. I would say the more common way to showcase your work as a postgrad is conferences. Our department has an annual conference, and the university-wide one is also once a year, plus there will be opportunities for visiting conferences from outside organisations and other unis.

7. What was it like going from an undergraduate degree to a postgraduate?

The most difficult part is not having strict timetables and deadlines to work towards, whereas undergraduate courses have several modules and you might have work to hand in two or three times a year, postgraduate research is all reliant on one thesis. There are no lecturers asking to see work from you every few weeks so it’s very easy to put off work by going ‘oh I’ll do it next week’, especially when your deadline is three years in the future. Then what happens is before you know it half the time has gone, you’ve wasted it sitting in your pyjamas, and you have 80,000 words to write!

8. Would I be able to work alongside doing a postgraduate degree?

Universities advise against it but I think you have to, in order to live. Unless you are fortunate enough to get a huge scholarship or have some money to one side, it would be impossible to live independently without working. I think it’s very important to get the balance right – I work 4 days a week which is probably why I’m falling behind on my PhD because I’m so mentally exhausted from working that I have no brainpower left on my days off! If you plan and manage your time well I think it’s possible to do both well though. Also, lots of universities offer teaching work which they will pay postgraduates for, and this is probably a good option for anyone thinking of pursuing an academic career, giving you experience as well as some cash.

9. What piece of advice would you give to someone who has decided to take on postgraduate study?

I’d say if you have decided on studying at postgraduate level, organise yourself and manage your time well. Set mini-goals or deadlines which are achievable so you don’t feel like you’re struggling in a huge void. But I think you need to ask yourself one question before you start; if I could do absolutely anything in the world, and money and circumstances were no object, would it be this postgraduate degree? If the answer is no then you should probably weigh up why you are taking on this huge amount of stress and work for yourself!

Meet: Hanna - English Literature (soon-to-be) graduate

Hello readers of One Oh One! My name is Hanna and I am currently pending a degree in English, literature and graduating in July from Leeds Beckett University. I am currently still living in my student house in Leeds, with plans to move to London next month... and have no idea what job I'm going to be working two months from today! My life is in major limbo right now, but... first, how did I end up where I am?

Since a young age, I am grateful that my parents have always allowed me a free reign over my own educational decisions, teaching me that the subjects I enjoy are those worth taking on. Therefore, my subjects of choice have always mirrored my interests, rather than reflecting one specific career path. Like many, I went to uni because, well, what else was I supposed to do... become an adult at 18?! I saw university as an opportunity to grow as a person, and this is absolutely what I have experienced over the past three years. My interest in literature has ballooned and my love for language and writing has grown massively. I wrote a ten-thousand-word dissertation as a product of my degree, and within it, I explored the ways that contemporary literature engages with nature. Reading specifically in terms of ecological concern in an age of climate catastrophe and extreme human pollution, I concluded that it has become necessary for literature to engage with nature in this way. I believe that literature surrounding environmental concern can broaden our activism for the planet, and writing this dissertation inspired me to begin writing nature-centred poetry myself, with an undertone always on the beauty of natural phenomena that might soon be completely lost. I look forward to sharing with you my own creative work.

So... what now? As I mentioned earlier, I will be moving down to London next month to live in a house with friends and my boyfriend. I have absolutely NO idea what life has in store for me, but I don't mind (that is, not yet I don't...) I am excited for such a bold move down south (havin' lived all me life up int'north) and I am looking forward to sharing this move with those of you who might be considering a crazy-postgraduate-change-of-environment!

Attempting to hold little expectations of what the near future might hold, my rough 'plan' over the next few months is to:

1) Get Han down to London. In one piece, desirably.
2) Find ANY job (or three) that will cover rent.
3) Build up a portfolio of freelance and creative work. I will do this in my spare time and hope to gain success in the world of freelance, as well as, of course, for a couple of extra bucks.

That's about it for now! I am glad to be sharing with you all at One Oh One the struggles and pleasures that I will no doubt find myself tangled in in London, and hope that my reckless life-choices can bring some calm to those of you who might be panicking. For now, however, I will sign off and continue living off the dregs of my student loan, and make the most of not having a job yet...!

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Meet: Rebecca - Psychology graduate (BSc, MSc)

Hello! For those of you who don't already know me, I'm Rebecca. I'm 23, I have an undergraduate degree and a (soon to obtain) postgraduate degree in psychology and I'm from Manchester! *sorry, I couldn't resist the urge to turn that into a quiz show introduction*. And I am the gal behind One Oh One (alongside my friend, Lucy - who you will be meeting soon). I've already posted about what One Oh One is, and what you can expect (which you can read here) but in a nutshell, I'm going to take you on a trip down memory lane to tell you a little story about how I experienced the transition out of university. 

I bloody loved my three years at university, and before I went, I had NO idea of what I had planned afterwards. I think I only went to university because so many people were going and it felt like the next step after college. And so when it came to a few months before graduation, I thought 'shit...' okay, now I really need to think about what I want to do now. And as hard as I tried, I couldn't hide from those 'so, what are your plans for after you graduate?' questions. Internalising that, I started to plan. I liked writing and was writing for our student magazine at uni, the local paper in Huddersfield, and online publication, The National Student. I thought, okay... publishing, let's have a look at that route. After a lot of emailing and sending cover letters and CVs to so many independent publishers in the North West, I managed to secure two internships at two publishing houses for over the summer. Despite loving both of them, I felt this guilt that I had been studying psychology for three years and was going to 'throw it away' for a career in publishing. And what would people think about that?! It would be such a waste of money... But I didn't have to think too long about a career because I managed to secure funding to study for an MRes at my university. Ahhh, one more year of blissful ignorance and no need to plan for my future just yet. 

Whilst I was in the weird bubble of almost out of education, but not - studying away from the campus as it was a research MSc... I had moved back home with my mum and her partner. And boy, was that a struggle. It took so long to get used to being back in my childhood home, under my mum's roof and rules. Being told, 'don't be going to bed too late', 'don't forget to set your alarm' etc., I was 18 again. It was tough to feel as though I had failed, although I had zero funds to move out. I missed my independence. But I got used to it, and of course, I don't want to live with my mum forever, but at current, I am happy and grateful it is giving me the chance to save up money to move. 

Whilst carrying out my research into the transition out of university, I realised that transition was an area within psychology that really interested me. I got in touch with my old sixth form out of curiosity to see if they had any work experience available, explaining my interest was in transition and facilitating successful transitions. I didn't expect anything back, but after a couple of weeks, I received a reply to say that they were actually looking to hire new staff members and would I be interested in going and speaking about the role. Long story short, what began as me enquiring for work experience became me being hired on a contract as an Educational Support Assistant! I was still carrying out my research when I began working full-time and was finding it difficult to balance the two, having to drive up to Huddersfield for meetings with my thesis supervisors. But after work agreeing to make changes to my contract hours until I completed my thesis, I was able to successfully balance a job and my studies and at that point, I knew I was going to be okay once I finished my MSc. 

Working in a learning support role completely unexpectedly and off plan has opened so many doors and provided me with so many developmental opportunities... and I've realised what I want to do next. And it has been difficult to get used to the expectations of what my life after university is supposed to be like - both from myself and others. What kind of job I'm expected to get, how I should travel the world before I settle down, how I should not travel the world and should get onto that career ladder, when I should be moving out of my mum's home, what kind of money I should be on etc., etc., And what I say to that is, SCREW THAT. Screw the expectations, screw your own pressures, life in the real world is messy, we don't have a clue what we're doing because, to be fair, we've never really been prepared for it. (What is a mortgage? What is tax? How do you pay bills? How do you work full-time without feeling like a slave to the system? What is a 'proper job'?) It's going to be messy, and it's going to be difficult, but how you handle your next steps after university is no one's business but your own. 

And One Oh One is here. A platform for advice sharing, for graduates to share their own stories about their transition. And for me to share my research, to help those making the transition, and those struggling with adjusting to life in the 'real world' feel prepared to tackle it. So please get in touch, please email me with your advice and tips, and your stories and your creative work and help me to create a space for graduates to come together and realise that we can survive outside of our bubble of education.

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