What's Your Next Step?

Advice from students and alumni on what to do now that your exams and deadlines are over, and how to prepare for what’s coming next.

INTRODUCTION BY NATALIE ROSE

Finally, it’s gotten to that time of year again – summer. Deadlines and exams are over, and we can all start to breathe properly again. My caffeine levels have gone down, my sleeping hours have increased, and I have finally been able to clear all those books and notepads out of the way. No longer do I wake up with stress sweats.

But this isn’t where it all ends, and for most of us, end of exams only means more decisions to make. It’s okay to spend the next month scrolling through AirBnB and planning holidays. But soon enough, the real world will start to loom again, and it’s always better to be prepared.

I know, trying to think about these big decisions can be scary. The hardest part for most is figuring out where to start. So I have gathered here for you a few words of advice from some students and alumni here at Middlesex University.

Hopefully their tried and tested advice will help guide you with some of your decisions this summer. Each one of them speaks from experience, and hearing their stories can help to better imagine how yours might play out.

But remember, the summer is for fun too. These decisions don’t have to be difficult, and you can just as easily think about them while lying by a pool somewhere or on a beach, or in a park with your friends. Spend the next few months relaxing and coming to terms with whatever decisions you make. Be happy and sure of yourself. Get physically and mentally prepared to take the next step in your life.

If you do want to check out your options, My UniHub has a whole load of information for you to shift through. Just log on and start clicking through the links and you should find what you’re looking for. Under the Support & Wellbeing tab, you can even book an appointment with a number of different advisors at the University who can help by explaining your options and talking out your situation.

Let the following advice guide you peacefully on your decision making journey this summer. But don’t forget to relax, de-stress and get yourself all back to fit, fighting health, ready for the exciting year of new things ahead!

Postgraduate study

BY AARON FENTON-HEWITT, MA STUDENT

I remember when I handed in my final piece of coursework. The reality that I had officially finished university didn’t hit me until I woke up on Tuesday morning to go to class as normal, and then I remembered: there was no class. No more 10am starts and 5pm finishes. No more deadlines. No more coursework. No more all-nighters, with coffee to keep you awake.

It’s over. Finished. Now is the time where you simply wait for your results, celebrate with your family and walk across that stage dressed in your graduation gown. But, after all that, and all the celebrations, festivities and family dinners are over, what happens next?

Well, there are many options available. Some decide to go into postgraduate study, like me.

Statistics have shown that those with a postgraduate qualification can command a salary up to 18% more than those with a Bachelor’s degree only. It does wonders for your CV; I talk from experience and I haven’t even finished the course!

Postgraduate study usually allows you to focus on an area that you would like to specialise in. For me, it was creative writing. For you, it could be computer science, public health or midwifery. Middlesex offers all of these courses and more; the possibilities are endless!

Personally, I chose to go into further study because I wanted to specialise in an area of my chosen industry that I was good at and that I genuinely enjoyed.

I did my undergraduate degree in Film, and during that time I found that writing was by far my strongest asset. Whenever I would work with a group, writing would be my area of expertise. I was consistently averaging a 2:1 and above for all my written work including my dissertation (I was 2% off a first!).

Knowing this, I figured that I wanted to be an all-round writer; somebody who was a jack of all trades. I was mainly writing film scripts and nonfiction reports, but I wanted to expand into other areas such as short stories, novels and writing for theatre.

By the third year, I knew this was what I wanted to do and I applied for postgraduate study here at Middlesex, where I am currently studying MA Writing for Creative and Professional Practice. I was offered a place on the course within a month of applying, with my academic tutor being especially impressed with my literary potential. The rest is history, as they say.

I’d highly recommend postgraduate study if you'd like to specialise in your chosen field. It will kickstart your career in a way that a sole Bachelor's degree simply cannot.

RETAKES & RESITS

BY LISA HUNT, STUDENT RETAKING 1ST YEAR

Ironically I’m quite happy I failed my first year. It meant that I could retake, come back and kick ass again in every module (even if I did have to resubmit some). I’m currently maintaining an average 2.1 which is a damn lot better than I managed last year and after a long year of bereavement, anxiety, panic attacks and break downs galore, I’m finally on path to getting into 2nd year!

You may be in a similar boat with no idea where to turn or what to do next. All your submissions are in and you’re sat looking at your grades on Unihub, silently panicking before calling home and packing it all in. Before you do all of that, hear me out. You’ve got options every single step of the way.

Firstly, BREATHE!! We’ve all been there and it’s no use stressing about it, like you’re in a pond full of worry with no ladder to help you out. Figure out the ladder and then climb the heck out of the anxiety pond, since that’s just going to drag the days out where you could be being productive. Speak to friends, family and email your teachers about your next steps. But once this is done and you’ve made yourself a cuppa, here's what you do.

Missed assignment? Check your module handbook for a resubmission date, which is usually in July some time. Once you know this information take a leaf out of Rihanna’s book and “work, work, work, work, work”. If you’ve got multiple deadlines that you’ve failed and missed, the earlier you start the more opportunity there is for you to get everything done on time. (Hint: Leaving everything to last minute means you end up prioritising certain assignments which can be detrimental, and you may even have to retake the entire module next year.)

Failed a module? Apply for extenuating circumstances and email your Head of Department to find out your next options. Extenuating circumstances allow you to get an extension on assignments and when you email your Head of Department try and arrange a meeting with them to figure out the best strategy for getting you back on track.

Retaking a year is not the end of the world and honestly for some people, it’s the best decision they have ever made.

EMPLOYMENT

BY ROEL VAN DEN BERG, ALUMNI

University has been praised as the one institution that will give you the knowledge and the tools that will make you ready to join the workforce with a healthy starting salary. It turns out that university barely has anything to do with your future.

While a university degree might give you a leg up from your peers on the same level, the only difference between a 1st honours degree and a 2:2 honours degree, is your state of mind.

But whatever your final grade, all students face the same next obstacle: job applications.

Applying for a job sounds easy enough - you must be interested in the job, but not too interested; you must promote yourself, but not too much.

However, all those classmates you had (maybe some of them were even your friends) are now your competition. Not only that, students from hundreds and thousands of universities each year compete for the same roles against each other.

It is sometimes easier to stick to what you know best. That bar job you did part-time during university can be turned into a full-time position. Hospitality or retail will work the same. It will give you some breathing room. Maybe you don’t see it yet, but maintenance is not going to fall magically into your bank account anymore.

That little bit of wiggle room is nice, but make sure you don’t lose sight of what’s important. That retail job is tempting because it is easy money. Maybe they give you a promotion along the way with a raise attached to it. These are traps, and should be treated with caution.

University made you aware of what you want in life, whether that be to continue along down the path of your degree or follow your hobbies. Keep those in mind, explore new opportunities and ideas. Never keep yourself down with the promise of something better. Life is a party, but you have to hang the garlands yourself.

Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. Think about the skills you have obtained and make them into a career. Your social experiences might make you perfect for a position in management, your ability to teach/ train others might make you perfect for education.

And if you feel like your town has nothing to offer, move somewhere else within the UK, or even move abroad. You might see something of the world and end up in one of your favourite countries.

In conclusion, don’t ever stop pushing yourself. Never be afraid to be daring and follow your heart; be more afraid of comfort zones and easy money – they’re the real traps in this life.