Graduation: What Next?

by · February 13, 2023

There shouldn’t be a set date for graduation

Approaching graduation can be overwhelming and cause confusion and stress because of what comes after. People think it’s the time you must decide exactly what you’re going to do for the next 10+ years of your life, but that’s not true.

No decision needs to be permanent and there are many paths to take after graduation that don’t need to involve a serious long-term career.

In this post I’ll discuss the various paths most individuals choose to take after graduation.

The most common paths students choose to take after graduation are:

  • continue their education
  • find a job 
  • travel
  • move home
  • discover new hobbies and interests
  • volunteer 

There are many more paths that someone could take, but these are the ones I’ll briefly discuss so you can understand their benefits.

Continuing Your Education

Continuing your education, whether that be going back to school for a Master’s degree, taking courses online, getting a certificate, or learning any chance you get in simple ways, is a vital way to expand your knowledge and skills.

Just because school is over after 14 or so years, doesn’t mean you have to stop learning and are at your smartest capacity. There is always more learning to do! This can be your sole path after graduation, or something you do in your spare time to advance yourself!

 

Finding A Job

Finding a job can be difficult, but with the help of the connections you make at UVic’s co-op program terms, it may be easier than you think! Co-op terms are a valuable way to find out the types of jobs you enjoy, what skills you’re an expert in, and create professional and personal connections for life.

With online platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, Google Jobs, LearningInMotion, and more, students will have no issue finding work after graduation as long as they remain committed and put in effort with each cover letter and application.

Travel

Travelling is something that one may want to try to do a lot of when they’re young! It can be expensive, but there are many cheap options if you don’t care about living in luxury hotels.

If you went on an exchange semester, you may have caught the travel bug and want to travel again immediately after graduation. Or, you may be someone who has rarely travelled and can’t wait to get out of the country with no responsibilities.

Whoever you are, save up some money and go explore the world! There is so much to see, so many cultures to experience, and rare life to witness.

globe

Move Home

Many students may be from cities across Canada or from across the world, and it may be time to move home back in with your parents! This transition can be difficult, exciting, dreadful, or easy!

It is, of course, nice to not have to pay rent in a city away from home, and not having to cook or clean 100% on your own (unless you have roommates). Moving home will ease your financial stress, provided that familiar comfort of family, familiar environments, rekindle with old friends, and more. It is a great choice for those who want to save money, move cities, and change their home environment.

Discover New Hobbies and Interests

Now is the time to discover yourself! We’re young, knowledgeable, easy to bounce back from pain, and are looking to figure out what our futures hold.

Use your spare time to try new activities, foods, jobs, music, movies, cities, clothes, whatever you want! Don’t solely focus on work and education, life is meant to be enjoyed.

Plus, a lot of fun personal activities can be added to your resume or LinkedIn to use towards professionalism! For example, I enjoy being a writer for this blog. It’s a personal activity that I chose to do but it is a great addition to my resume and LinkedIn profile.

Volunteer

Volunteering is a great way to spend your time and contribute to your community and fellow citizens. There is always a need for more workers, even if you can’t find a volunteering posting online. Call around to organizations and see who needs help! Or get out there yourself and lend a helping hand to strangers wherever you can. It’s very internally rewarding.

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