How To Deal With the Limbo Between University and the Real World
I am coming to the end of my time at university. With only a couple of months left, this brings a lot of uncertainty into my life. For the past four years, I have known what I am doing, where I am living and who I am going to be with. But with all of this coming to an end, these constants are now being brought into question.
University Gave Me Structure During the Pandemic
Even throughout a global pandemic, various lockdowns and a time that filled so many people with feelings of uncertainty, I had the consistency of university work to focus on. For the past four years, I have been living with my friends. I have had my days structured around lectures and seminars. My years were all signposted by deadlines and exams, and the thought of living without this structure is very daunting.
I have often heard of people feeling lost in their twenties. But with university anchoring me to a set projection for the past few years, I have not lived through this experience as of yet. But now, with this constant coming to an end, I am having to face the realities of what many experience at this point of their lives, that being the fear of the unknown. And although I do still have the final months of my university experience left, I am already starting to feel this fear and the unsettling sensation of feeling a bit lost.
I have always been someone who has a plan. But in this moment of trying to wrap up loose ends and complete my master’s degree whilst preparing for the next stage in my life, I have found myself in what feels like a moment of limbo. I haven’t finished my university life yet. And I am having to work towards that next step, which is not only a lot to juggle. But it is quite an overwhelming experience to have to think about an ending at the same time as trying to formulate the next beginning.
Freedom at Last
However, I have found a sense of freedom in what is otherwise quite a stressful situation. There is excitement mixed in with that fear of the unknown. Within this feeling of limbo or the idea of being a little lost, there is the notion of opportunity. I now have the freedom to determine my own path and my own next step. I can explore opportunities that come my way or even forge my own.
Not being tied to a certain city or discipline opens so many opportunities for new experiences. It gives the chance to meet new people and go to new places. This can be scary, but is not necessarily ‘being lost’. And while I have always wanted to write, and this will be something that I continue to pursue, I can do this in so many different capacities to what I have experienced during my degrees.
I will miss being in education. I enjoy learning and have always loved literature. So having dedicated four years to reading and writing is something that I will always be grateful for. In the world that we live in, education is, unfortunately, a privilege, not a given. But I think I can miss this period in my life whilst still being excited about my next chapter. I suppose my main takeaway from this is that there is not anything wrong with being a little lost.
