The Power of Graduates Coming Together

*Taken from my recent post for Student Minds: The Power of Graduates Coming Together*

Coming out of university is pretty scary. There are so many expectations (from yourself and others), so many comparisons to make to other graduates, and so many obstacles to overcome. I remember when I finished my undergraduate degree in 2017, I couldn’t focus on my success, I could only focus on the fact I was having to move back to my family home, and I hadn’t yet secured a ‘grad role’, in fact, I had no idea what I wanted to do. This to me was one big fat failure in trying to be the adult I was now expected to be. My mental health really took a turn for the worst. 

Not knowing what I wanted to do, I jumped at the chance of going into a funded research degree. That sweet relief of two more years to hide away from the real world and all its responsibilities. I decided to research the transition out of university into the ‘real world’ - for obvious reasons. I wanted to see if I was alone in my feelings of utter dread and uncertainty. 

I interviewed 20 different graduates from different degree backgrounds. I spoke to them about their experiences in university, how they did/didn’t prepare for making the transition, how they had found their transition so far - positive and negative, and what they wish they had known. I found talking to other graduates both fascinating and comforting. It was difficult to keep myself separate and away from my research, and difficult to not turn around and be like ‘I FEEL THE SAME!!’ when people validated my own concerns/anxieties. For example, my interviewees reported feeling they had returned to being a child when they moved back home with parents. They struggled to handle job rejections - thinking they’re degree would have secured them roles, they faced job stigma (i.e. ‘when are you going to get a ‘proper job’?) and all in all, feeling a little lost and vulnerable without the university bubble. I asked graduates how they managed to cope with all these feelings of uncertainty and all of the difficulties they faced, the vast majority of interviewees disclosed feeling some comfort in knowing others’ were ‘in the same boat’. 

In university, it’s easy to feel part of a community. There’s no comfort like being in the library late at night rushing to finish an assignment and looking around to see other students doing the same, fuelled by caffeine and stress. There’s no comfort like moaning to your course mates about student finance, or about referencing and word counts. You can all relate to each other, some way or another. And you’re all on the same path, with the same goal. Work hard to finish university and get your degree. It’s when you get out of university when it all gets a bit messy. 

With my mental health taking a hit, feeling lost and those well-documented ‘graduate blues, I set up One Oh One. A place to share my graduate experience, to interview other graduates, and share advice/tips for surviving the real world and for looking after your mental health. My platform is not the only one existing out there, only further highlighting the need for graduates to feel connected, and to reach out for the advice and support we often lack once leaving behind education. There are platforms out there that are set up to share CV writing tips - offering free consultancies - platforms to support graduates in the events agency, platforms to support and highlight the achievements of female graduates, and BAME graduates. There are platforms to support graduate mental health, job searching, and just general advice. Once you graduate university, the support network and student community you have been used to for all your years in education, completely vanishes. 

Communities like mine, and the others which are cropping up feel like one big peer support group - a bunch of graduates trying to survive for the first time without their support bubbles, and clinging together in a world that is often unrelenting to those fresh from university. Where the university support ends, graduates are pulling together to keep it going. You can feel so alone when you come out of university, you can feel like you’re falling behind (though there is no race), you can feel like the world wants you to fail. It can really impact on your mental health, as it did mine. It is so refreshing to be able to connect with so many different graduates, to hear their advice, to see the realities of the real world, and most importantly, to feel less alone.

Some other great articles on Student Minds you may like: 

Uncertainty Amidst Covid-19

Imposter Syndrome

Meet: Jo - Photography (BA) and Psychology (MSc) graduate

Website: https://www.jcphoto.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jochukualim_photo/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jo_Chukualim

I’m Jo. I’m 24 and I graduated in 2019 with an MSc in Psychology. Before that, I graduated in 2018 with a BA in Photography.

What has it been like for you, leaving behind university? 

It’s been interesting. I went on to study an MSc once I’d finished my BA degree and then there was this extra layer to my career to figure out. i.e. what does the integration of both my degrees look like in a job? So I ended up on a picture desk at a charity, photographing mental health projects.

Did you have a plan for your life after graduation?

I definitely had plans for my life after graduation. Like everyone else I wanted a stable job where I could be creative and use the skills I’d worked so hard to develop. The problem with university is that it doesn’t explicitly prepare you for life afterwards. I was lucky enough to go to one of the best photography programs in the UK, certainly the best in London at the time but knowing how to navigate the job market was not something that was taught. Even with the difficulties I’ve had, I feel like one of the lucky ones because I started this job navigation thing way before I started my degree. However, without connections, it was still tough.

Funnily enough, everyone talks about the importance of networking but doesn’t really tell you how to do it. Unless you’re super extroverted and feed off talking to many people at once, it’s probably going to take a bit of figuring out.

When did you begin taking photographs?

I started taking photos properly just before A-levels and this was at London College of Fashion on a short course. I didn’t love the course itself but it showed me what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

To you, what makes a good photograph? 

Technically? Good use of light and shadows to create an image with depth. I also need to feel something. I mean it’s incredibly subjective because something that evokes an emotional response from me can mean absolutely nothing to someone else.

Someone pointed out that I tend to shoot people in a vulnerable and somewhat sensual way so I guess those are the kind of images I’m drawn to. If I had to dissect it (with my psychology brain :P), I’d say I was creating images with emotions I didn’t feel safe to explore in the past and felt the only way I could do so was through photography.

What do you enjoy most about the process? 

Connecting with different people. That’s what image-making does for me, it allows me to connect with people I might otherwise not have met or spoken to.

Do you have any particular goals you want to reach in your life outside of education?

A solo exhibition. This was actually set to happen last summer. I had a date, a venue and I’d started printing and planning but I underestimated the toll my masters would take both emotionally and financially. So this is something I’m still looking forward to.

Do you have any goals with your photography? 

At the moment, a solo exhibition is the only thing on my mind and trying to figure out the best way to make that happen. I haven’t created a new project since I left Uni but there’s a lot of work that I’ve done in the past but haven’t shown yet and, looking at them together, I can see that they are all connected.

What is one thing you wish you knew about the ‘real world’ whilst you were still at university? 

That my race and gender would make things harder for me. I thought that my skills and hard work alone would be enough to get me through, that’s how I was raised. I guess I figured the art world was more progressive than it was. The amount of racist and sexist treatment I’ve been on the receiving end of has been shocking. I would have approached the ‘real world’ differently had I known.

Any tips for surviving outside the university bubble? 

Creating a network, especially while you’re at Uni, is important. If you’re like me the word ‘networking’ can seem daunting and a bit confusing but really it’s about finding people who enjoy the same things you do and/or people who think in the same way. So your friends and course mates! They form part of your network. I mean it’s kind of like dating isn’t it? The advice people usually give when you’re looking for someone special is to go to events, exhibitions, or just places that you enjoy and not be afraid to interact with others there. I’ve actually found it easier building a network during lockdown because there’s been a surge in online communities being set up so the awkward dance that happens in person is taken away.

Finding connections is one thing but making those connections work for you is another. Tell people your ideas and share your plans for your career. It might not turn into something immediately but they also have a network and could know someone to help point you in the right direction.

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Postgraduate education: is it worth it...What do postgraduates say?

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?

1) Personally, I do feel as though I stayed on with postgraduate education because I wasn't ready for the 'real world'... But I think that it hasn't really done me any problems, as I was able to work alongside completing my MSc. I don't see it as an issue, but only if you use that time wisely. Plan for what you're going to do after your postgrad, try and find work experience, use the careers service, because it will be over before you know it!

2) No, university is expensive, if you could get it funded and defer for a year that would be great. You could then spend a year in a job, volunteering, etc. And figure out what you actually want to do. If you just stay in uni, you'll not grow, you'll not suddenly figure out what you want to do, because you're only getting exposed to that course, to that course setting. Get out there, get a 'crap' job, travel, see friends, make connections with other people not just students and uni staff.

3) Hmm, it may be a good idea to stay on, but having experience in different places and opportunities may help you decide and then your further studies will be more fruitful.

I don’t really like my undergraduate degree - can I choose a different postgraduate degree?

1) Yes! I think certain courses and universities will require different entry requirements, but I do think it's possible to specialise in an area completely away from your undergraduate degree. You may be able to take a conversion course etc., but as far as I'm aware, you can apply for most postgrad degrees coming from a different undergrad.

2) Yes, if you've decided that it's not for you why would you want to spend 3 years doing something to then have to spend 3 years correcting it. Leave, figure out what you want to do and come back if that's the way forward for you

3) Do you know what it is you don’t like? Is it the subject, the teaching, the other students or what? Of course, you can stop onto something else at postgraduate level, or do another first degree or even diploma to widen your field.

Is a post-graduate degree harder than an undergraduate degree?

1) I think the independent aspect of it, yes. I did a research masters so it all felt totally different to the constant support I received at my undergraduate. And despite the fact I'd only started my MSc in the September after graduation, I found it a LOT harder when it came to writing my thesis, to write in that academic style that had previously come so easy for me. Once I got back into the swing of it, it was absolutely fine, but yeah, you do need to prepare for the increased independent work.

2) I definitely think it is- much more isolating than an undergraduate degree - especially if it's your own research

3) Masters, no. Its usually the same layout as an undergrad and its familiarly comforting, the work can be slightly harder, but that expected, but the experience isn't much different. PhD however is lonely, its an entirely new setting, you're in charge of yourself to a degree you haven't been previously, it's hard to keep yourself motivated and because there isn't really actual hand in dates is sometimes feels like you're behind all the time, the work is definitely harder but the context sometimes is harder than imagined

4) Yes and no. You are more your own boss in postgrad studies, so that might suit you.

What can I expect in terms of tutor support whilst I’m doing a postgraduate degree?

1) The support is definitely less intense as an undergraduate degree - especially for me, doing a research MSc and moving away from campus. You normally have a monthly meet-up with your thesis supervisors, and they will give you a list of things to do before your next meeting. Living away from campus, and working full-time, it was harder for me to access that support from my supervisor, but emails and phone calls are always an option. I think you're expected to be more independent when it comes to postgrad, but your supervisor will always be there for support with write-up and data collection, etc.,

2) Again, masters is pretty similar to undergrad. PhD is a whole new realm, make sure you have a good relationship with your supervisor, you get an hour a month and a lot of the time it feels like that isn't enough to cover the work, nevermind any of the common mental health issues associated with doing the PhD. 

3) I’ve had really good support, but in the past poor support from tutors, so it depends where you go to study, and what the tutors interests are. Plus your willingness to ask for help.

Can a postgraduate degree give me a better chance of entering into my field of interest after I graduate?

1) I think so, yes. Especially if you use the time to network, through postgraduate conferences, and events held at your university. It becomes a more level playing field when you get to postgrad, and there's less of a gap between yourselves and your supervisors/lecturers. Utilise any connection you can make, apply for conferences, write for academic journals (websites like the Conversation and Wonkhe), and gain as much relevant experience as you can during that time.

2) No and yes, it really depends on what job you want after. They always come in handy, so I'd say go for it but you also need to make sure you try to get experience in your field, volunteer, get a lower position, show up and make connections if you're in a highly competitive area. Maybe do a gap year to get it

My uni has offered me funding to do a postgraduate degree, but I don’t really want to - shall I just do it to not waste the funding?

1) It is amazing when your university offers you funding, as it happened with me. However, make sure you think it through. Yes, it's a great opportunity, and you may feel pressured not to waste that chance, but there's really no point in you putting yourself through more intense years of study if you don't even want to do it! Weigh it up, would a postgrad propel you further to where you want to be, or hold you back?

2) I would take any opportunity you can - if you're passionate about your research, there should be no question about it

3) Defer the position. You can usually do it for 2 years, get out there get a job, be normal for a bit and it's there waiting for you while you decide. I got funding for my PhD and jumped in as I didn't want to lose such a good opportunity, it went horrendously wrong, I didn't like the subject I was given, the supervisor was awful, and it was just a mess. I quit and deferred my place for 2 years and came back with a new passion restored in an area I'd never thought about before and its so much better this time round. Use the offer as a safety net, keep it on pause while you do something else, you never know 2 years later you might want it, and if you don't that's OK too, but at least you've had time to think so you're not being rushed into a decision you're not sure of. 

4) Who would you be doing it for? And why? You’d waste the money and your time if you did it.

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

1) I did, but it wasn't really great for my mental health, especially because I was working full-time in quite a demanding job, and writing up my thesis. I think only you can decide on that, really. You know your financial situation/your ability to balance commitments. I wouldn't, however, recommend working full-time, as it really did cause me a lot of stress and anxiety.

2) Yes for both masters and PhD. It would suck if you had to work full time, you won't have much of a life... And while doing the PhD that is something you shouldn't compromise, master you have your class and your mates, the PhD is lonelier. I had to drop a shift at work to be able to have time that was for me 35 hours at uni and 37 at work was slowly killing me, I did it for a year but then I noticed my mental health was... Well crap. So I dropped a shift and it's been much better, I can see family and friends and not miss out on theirs and my own life events because I can balance things a bit better. 28 hours or less I feel is doable, but it's what you feel you can do...and try to be realistic when planning it... My 4 days at work and 3 15 hour days at uni is doable for me so I have my 1 day and the evenings or morning before and after work to myself. But it does depend on you and your circumstances, and what you're willing to compromise on. 

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

1) Prepare! Don't get out of the habit of writing academically, especially if you're going to be doing a research degree where you only have one piece of work rather than continual assignments. The end result will always be worth it, even if it's feeling hard. A postgrad degree is a great way of researching something of interest to you, and it is incredibly satisfying to watch it all come together. Enjoy it, there's a lot more freedom involved, which does mean a lot more discipline to be in place. Just keep going, 25,000 or 80,000 words seems like a huge mountain to tackle at first compared to your undergrad, so organisation and time-management is key. Don't put things off, a year or three feels like a LONG time, but before you know it, your deadline is staring you in the face

2) Time management, and ensuring you take time to yourself when needed.

3) Keep checking in with yourself, your mental health is important. Make sure you know your "why" going in, when you feel like you can't do it anymore and it's not worth it, go back to it. Remember, changing your mind isn't failing, it's knowing yourself and where you don't want to be, even if you don't know where you're going. Make sure you research your supervisors well, you've got 3 years working with these people, make sure you trust them enough with your life not just your uni life, things happen and you may need to to discuss upsetting things with them (you don't have to like them, but you need to know they're professional and understand that you're not doing it in a bubble). Enjoy it while you can, there are more moments of boredom and stress, remember the good bits. 3 years, seems ages... Its not... Know how you thought that song came out last year and its been 5, that's the PhD, stay on top of it. Plan, plan, plan, and not just your schedule for work and uni, put in time where you can just sit, go for a walk, exercise, see friends. It's very easy to trap yourself in a weird vortex of assignments and work, carve out that time its just as important... Also, go outside.

4) Go for it and enjoy it. Make the most of your time, engage with what might be going on.

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!