By Laura Conaghan, Health & Wellbeing Editor (@LauraPB)
Not only will this be the last edition of the Strathclyde Telegraph for the academic year but, for many of us, it is our last exam period, our last reluctant trip to the Andersonian library and the last time we will have to climb the infamous Rottenrow hill.
Life after graduation is a liberating thought. No more 9am lectures, no more assignments and no more trawling for books in the library that are most definitely not on the shelf, no matter how much SUPrimo insists they are.
You have your degree in your hand and you’re ready to embark into the unknown, it is exciting, it is thrilling, it is… terrifying.
Adapting to life post-diploma is not going to be easy. Apparently not only do we have to start paying council tax now but we also are no longer students and therefore no longer allowed to use a student discount on ASOS. Masters, anyone?
We are officially taking out first few footsteps into ‘real life’ where it is no longer acceptable to function off of three hours of sleep, still intoxicated, with your hair smelling of tequila and venoms.
So, before we take those shaky steps I recommend that you use this summer to take full advantage of being in limbo between your university life and your adult, working one.
This is far easier said than done for those who are still having to work over the summer months but, go travelling. You have managed four years of constant stress, time in the sunshine, snow, mountains even, will do your mental health a world of good. Taking yourself away from your life at home will also allow you to gain some perspective, reflect on what you have managed to achieve and prepare for moving forward.
Try and keep in contact with the friends you have made a university, although you won’t be seeing them for seminars and tutorials everyday it is important that you maintain the relationships you’ve made. Don’t expect them to make an effort if you’re not, but also remember that adult life doesn’t mean you need to talk every single day, people are busy, paying bills, crying about debt… that kind of stuff.
Most importantly, do not panic. I know those who are prepared from life after university and those who most definitely are not. You do not need to have it all together, life does not always adhere to a set plan that you have so embrace what you are about to experience.
I will say this for certainty; no matter where you end up, I wish you the best of luck in the future. Congratulations class of 2017 *cue smiling Elle Woods*, we did.
