4 Questions Graduates Are Facing in 2013

While you may think deciding what to study at university and which institution to attend have been the hardest decisions of your life, many of you are about to be hit by, or have already been hit by, the humdinger that is what to do with yourself after you graduate. For the first time in your life you may find yourself with no obvious path. The jump from school to university may have been a difficult adjustment, but it was an adjustment you underwent alongside many of your peers ? all in the same boat, as it were. You suddenly find yourself in unchartered territory. There are no rules for how to proceed after graduation. So, what next?

1. Should I Just Stay In Education?

Some graduates choose to remain at their university and carry on with another degree, or decide to continue in education at a new institution. As studying gets more expensive in the UK, increasing numbers of students are choosing to go abroad to continue their education. This commitment should only be pursued if you have a specific passion. Continuing in education is not for everyone, and should not be used as a way of putting off facing life in the real world. This will simply a waste of time, money and effort.

2. Is It The Right Time To Get A Job?

You may decide you would like to be financially independent as soon as possible, and would therefore like to enter the jobs market. This is easier said than done ? the financial crisis has made graduate unemployment levels rocket. The latest figures available from the Local Government Association reveals 51% of graduates were in full-time employment within three months from leaving university in 2010, compared in 57% in 2003. Between May and July 2012. 1.02 million young people aged between 16 and 24 were unemployed. Rory Campbell, a final year History undergraduate at the University of Bristol, asserts that ?dealing with the pressure not only of time commitment buts of the competition for graduate jobs is tough. It gets to the point when you start to worry more about your job after university than completing the degree itself.? If you have a clear idea of what you would like to do, try to start filling out applications as early as possible to increase your chances of success and prevent yourself getting into a frenzy as application deadlines build up.

3. Do I Have To Return Home?

For many students, the frustrating reality after gaining their independence at university is that they cannot afford to move out of their family home once they graduate. Without a student loan for comfort, the ?Boomerang Generation? are finding themselves returning to their parents? house while attempting to find a job and save up enough money to be independent again. Although this may feel like a step backwards, it is a step most graduates are having to take. Try to look on the positive side ? someone to help you with your laundry and cook you some tasty meals again!

4. Am I Ready For Post-uni Life Yet?

Try to see the positives of the situation: this is the first time in your life that you are free. If you are unable to decipher what sort of employment you would like to go into or whether or not you would like to pursue another degree, you may find the post-graduation period useful for taking some time out. Many recent graduates take this opportunity to travel and do some voluntary work and work experience in order to buy them some time for self discovery. While this time out period cannot be sustained indefinitely, this opportunity to gain some life experience outside of the university bubble may be just the ticket to revealing what your dream job is.