Finalists, What Comes After Graduation?
Finalists, this is your final session. What this means is that in a few months, you guys will be signing out too.
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I DON’T KNOW. I HONESTLY DON’T KNOW
This was the response I got last year when I asked a senior on the day he was signing out about what was next for him. He had entered the cafe I was sitting in, strapped in his white shirt that had signatures and names almost all over it. It was a day of joy. In light of the mood, I congratulated him and collected a marker from someone around to make sure I would have my name on him too. That's the tradition anyway. However, I had barely written the signature halfway when my inquisitive part took over me. I was forced to ask him, ‘X, after graduation now, what is your plan?’ For the first few seconds, he stared into the thin air. He shook his head and mouthed the response in a low voice: I DON’T KNOW.
I think for those of us who came from a family whose belief is that attending universities is a sure road to employment, the fear always exists. The fear to explain to that same family who had supported us that there is a difference between employability and employment; the fear to explain to them that you are totally capable of being employed, the issue is just that you have no job waiting for you out there; the fear to explain to them that you have no plan whatsoever for whatever comes after school. And I think that was it. That was probably the source of my inquisition to the guy. I must have thought that since he was graduating, perhaps, he might have mapped out a hack through these loopholes. Apparently, I was wrong.
Finalists, this is a new session. What this means is that in a few months, you guys will be signing out too. But for you, there might be no Saheed or Sunday to ask you the difficult but real questions: WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU? WHAT COMES AFTER YOUR GRADUATION? So, yes, celebrate. Yes, wear two white shirts and buy two blue and black markers for well-wishers who you might stumble into on the road. But unless you sit and reflect on these questions for yourself earlier, reality will beat you blue and black.
I am a LASU Life editor, of course, I wouldn’t simply decide to wake up on a Monday morning and decide that all I want to do is attack LASU finalists without drawing out the ways I think are best to move forward. So, finalists, apart from inward reflection, these are things you can do to avoid being in the stage of utter cluelessness after convocation:
Get the Good Graces of your Project Supervisors
Do not misinterpret this into something else. What I simply mean is that your project supervisors are also likely going to have the same degree as you do. Say B.A., B.Sc, B.Ed, and whatnot. Meaning, they are the perfect spots for you to get recommendations from. But, nobody keeps valuable pieces of jewellery in the trash. Nobody shares valuable pieces of information with someone who will make trash out of it. So, get the good graces of your supervisors by making them see the good qualities you possess during the time with which you work with them. This will increase your chance of getting recommended to places of work even before you get convoked.
Hop on Internships
I understand that life as a finalist is a very busy one, but also, you should understand that it doesn’t get easier afterward. Amidst all the chaos of finding a project topic, working on your project, and so on, be on the lookout for internship opportunities that can work for you. If you find one, assess the advantages and hop on it. Although internships do not necessarily guarantee you jobs, leaving a good impression during the period of your internship will make you stand out and be a potential employee.
I believe that taking time to reflect on your next line of action will make you consciously aware of things you might have previously shut out of your focus. So, all in all, I wish you good luck with the reflection. And if you have other ways you believe are helpful, help us all and drop it in the comment section. Merci beaucoup!
📝: Saheed Sunday, Editor, LASU Life Newsletter 🛩
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I understand X though, I really do.
Even for me who has so much going on and the promise of even more, "I don't know".