Ask Auntie Trash: Who Can I Be Now?
Hi Trash,
I’ve just submitted my dissertation and I have no idea what I want to do with my life. I don’t even know if I want to work in the same industry as my course anymore. I’m bored, I’m tired. I’ve done enough, frankly.
What do I do now? Who am I now?
Please help.
Yours,
Utterly lost former student
Hey gurl, or guy, or you,
I know who you are now. You’re a badass motherfucker who finished their course. Well done on getting through university. Fucking well done on writing and submitting your dissertation by the deadline. I have no doubt that the last few months have been really hard work for you and all your classmates, so fuck yes, you did it! Celebrate! Get pissed! Have a well-earned nap!
You’ve come to the point in your life where you’ve hit another one of The Great What Nows? That period you’ve been working towards for months, maybe even years. The taught classes are over, everything’s been handed in, and you find yourself wondering, “What the fuck am I going to do now?” It’s pretty terrifying.
I mean, it’s horrendously terrifying. Especially if you dare to see what your classmates are doing. Oh look, one's just landed an amazing internship. And over there, another is preparing to move to another city to start their very first job in their chosen industry. Meanwhile, on Instagram, everyone else seems to be really happy, totally gorgeous, and having no problems at all.
It’s a lie. All of it. Nobody knows what the fuck they are doing, just like you. They’re probably agonising over what Instagram filters to use. Or fighting with their flatmates, or splitting up with their partners because now university has finished, they have to face their problems. So, don’t worry about them, worry about YOU.
What is it that you want? I’m not talking about jobs, or future plans; what is it that you want right now that you can achieve? Look at your CV? Think about internships? How about just meet up with some friends and actually talk? What about going on holiday? It’s important to give yourself room to breathe and relax. University, while fun, takes its toll, and that’s why, now that it’s over, you absolutely have to listen to yourself, your body, and your mind. If you feel tired, rest. If you feel lonely, reach out and see a friend.
Also, yes, you can listen to what your family have to say, but you don’t have to follow it, it’s your life. They can have opinions about your life choices, and what not, but you make the final decision. Be polite, smile, thank them for their advice and then go forth and live your life in the best way that you deem fit.
Not a lot of people work in the same industry as the course they originally studied, and that’s fine. Just because you majored in whatever doesn’t mean you will always work in whatever. Embrace the change, experiment.
You’re probably going to feel a lot more fear in the coming months, that’s normal. Feel it, but don’t let it control you. See fear you’re experiencing as a way of your mind telling you to be careful. I was once in your position, and I know how it feels, but please remember to be kind to yourself. Never forget how far you have come, and always, always take the time out to rest when you need it.
In undying love and solidarity,
Yer Wee Pal,
Trashy xxx
Bachelor of Arts, Master of Science (bitch) [pending]