POST-UNIVERSITY BLUES AS A FINAL YEAR STUDENT

It’s a common feeling for many graduates — that feeling of post-university blues.

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Whether it’s missing being able to come home from a lecture and seeing all of your housemates or being able to go on night-out mid-week with no thoughts about waking up early for work the next day, or being on campus amongst people your own age. This is a well known feeling for graduates and people just leaving for university. But, what if you’re already anticipating feeling this while you’re still at university?

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Now, as I begin my third year at university, the post-university blues are already hitting me. These post-uni blues are making me grieve and process university life before it’s even over.

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When my final freshers week came around, it truly hit me that this was my final year at university before I have to deal with housing, graduate jobs and adult life.

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While the prospect of graduating is exciting, moving away from a continually fun, exciting space that is full of people my own age, is a daunting and a terrifying prospect.

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I began the year navigating these feelings around being in my last year of university, and I still am today. With my first year cut short and most of my second year spent in lockdown, my university experience doesn't feel like it has even properly started yet. Despite my time at university being two-thirds complete, it somehow still feels like it has only just begun.

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A common discourse over the past 18 months since the pandemic began, has been on students and their lack of university experience. Most of my second year was spent in lockdown, isolating or with a subpar social life. Obviously, I recognise that my pandemic experience puts me in a very privileged position. However, I still feel the sadness and anger that comes with not having a full university experience.

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Of course, this feeling that time at university “flies by” is fed to us from our teenage years, but, actually living through it, and it happening quicker than I could ever imagine, is another experience entirely. This feeling that university life had flown by does not help mitigate the feelings of sadness around graduating and post-university life, especially when combined with the pandemic.

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Unfortunately, I know I am not alone in this feeling. Many university students currently feel like they haven’t had a full university experience due to the pandemic. The thought of leaving the university setting is upsetting and daunting enough as it is, without the added aspect of previous lockdowns and strained social life.

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If you’re also moving into third year and also feeling like you're anticipating the post-university blues before you’ve even graduated, please know that you are not alone in this feeling.

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It’s worth talking to someone about how you are feeling, perhaps a friend or even your university wellbeing team.

In addition to working through these feelings and externalising them, perhaps check out this infographic on the New Graduate Instagram page on how to make the most out of your final year at university. I’m personally taking tips from this to try and make sure my last year at university is the best it can possibly be!

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To combat the blues, I’m making an effort to see people that I met in first year, only for the pandemic to pause these connections. I’m joining new societies (it’s never too late to get involved!), arranging lots of events with my housemates and friends, and visiting parts of my city that I haven’t explored yet.

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While this may not cure the feeling of sadness when you think about your university experience ending, it may help you make the most of your last year at university and enjoy some unforgettable experiences.

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I’m still feeling those post-university blues, but I hope that by embracing final year, I can leave university knowing that I enjoyed my time here and I am ready for post-graduation life, however scary that may be.

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Just because you’re in your final year, that doesn't mean your university experience is over! You still have a whole year to make new friends, see your campus, join societies, have fun on nights out and so much more. Try and make the most of the fact you still have an entire year to spend time with your friends and make the most of university life!