After education no longer looms in front of me
I am on the precipice of a proverbial cliff. This cliff (which we shall call the cliff of education) is steep but finally I am about to reach the end of my steep climb. For 17 years I have been writing and learning and writing and learning, all in preparation for this single moment.
You may have guessed by now but if you haven’t I am talking about finally receiving my hard earned degree. This degree may only be a piece of paper but it symbolises the transition from one phase of my life to the next, in effect shouting ‘it’s time to grow up’ through the paper. Of course I could prolong this stage and start applying for postgraduate and masters qualifications but I know that it is time for me to cast off my cap and gown and enter the world of paid work.
Paying over £3000 a year to study has made a big financial hole so getting paid to do work is something that I’m really looking forward to. The only thing I am worried about is what I am going to get a job doing and where. Because I live in a very rural area with not very many big businesses there aren’t really many prospects for graduate students like myself. Saying that graduate jobs are few and far between would be a gross understatement and unless I fancy a job in the tourist industry or selling conservatories then I don’t have much hope when I leave.
There is only one solution and that is to move to a big city. Graduate jobs may be competitive but with my qualifications I will stand a much better chance of securing a reasonable starter salary in a job that has room for promotion than someone else who has a degree in say, English literature. I’m looking forward to starting work in a new town, meeting new people and wearing a smart suit to work every day…enough of my worn out climbing gear, I can save that for the weekend.
Sometime in the not so distant future I may decide that it’s time to get back onto the mountain and find a new cliff to tackle but for the moment I am just content with sitting on the top and bathing in the sun for a while.
Article Source: Daily Digest Magazine
About the Author
Jodie Dellagio is a post degree student trying to find her way into work with Graduate Jobs.