[IceFire]

I know we have of younger people on the boards but we've also got quite a few guys who have been around the block a few times.

I'm about a week from finishing all work pertaining to university.  Its going to be hell because there is so much to do and naturally I'm stressed to the limit but its all counter balanced by the fact that its over.  And now I'm really not sure whats in the cards now.

Its really like a profound sense of loss really.  All of the sudden, school is finished, and its gone.  Really don't know what to do with myself or how to approach it.

How have you folks who have gone through that approached the future?  What did you do to get you going again?

[redsniper]

well, I fall in the 'younger guys' category, but I think the simple answer is: take what you learned in college and make money with it.

[Col. Fishguts]

Hell, if I only knew. I'm facing that fate in about 1.5 years and have no idea how's that gonna end up.

Some people I know went out into the world (read some foreign country) to start a new life there.
Actually a friend of mine will spend the coming summer in Canada (Calgary to be exact), working on a semester project, and he's thinking about working there after he got his diploma. And I must admit the idea sounds appealing

So....in what are you gonna graduate anyway ?

[kode]

"get a haircut and a job"
-swedish saying

[Unknown Target]

I dunno. I'm part of the "Younger guys" category as well, but I'd say just look for what you like/want to do.

[Andreas]

I'll be damn glad when all my studies are over (I just *hate* high school ). I've been playing around with the idea of going to law school after university (to which I'll most likely go to in any case). Other than that, I really don't have any plans. Not that you care, but still...

And IceFire: Good luck!

[IceFire]

Thanks

Yeah, you actually have to arrive at this point to understand it.  You have no idea what life without the "blanket" of school is like till you reach the edge.  You may hate it right now, you may always hate it...but its the only life most of us have ever known.

[Fineus]

Have you thought about travelling?

It might not be your thing, or it might not be feasable right now... but it seems to me that there's no better time to travel than before you start getting into full time employment... see the world, get some experiences and what have you.

[BlackDove]

Thunder you make a permanent job sound like death-row.

I understand the blanket you're talking about Ice. It's the fact everything has been more or less mapped out ahead of time, and now it's your choice, and you have no idea where to go, because that's where real diversity starts (the diversity of choosing universities is still the same...it's a university and has its own system), and this is an important one, because it may or may not feed you tommorow.

...the only way to get over that is to actually take a path and stick with it. No amount of travelling helps there. After you take the path, you should know if it is or isn't the right one. Good thing is, you can always switch (providing you have money, accomodation/shelter, food) If it is, everything will probably be mapped out for you again, unless they lay you off or something (god forbid really).

[vyper]

There is nothing more frightening or exhilerating than what happens when you walk out the front door and realize every single move you make is your own choice.

[IceFire]

I have thought about traveling...I'd love to travel to England.  In particular I REALLY want to see RAF Duxford and Flying Legends (I'm such a aviation geek) but Scottland, Ireland, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand are all places I'd love to visit...but its really not within my means right now.  Unfortunately, a full time job with good money is what puts such things in my means.

@ Fish: I'm graduating with a BA Honors in Communications Studies and Multimedia.  Sounds impressive maybe...but it doesn't really focus me at all.  Never been to Calgary but hopefully your friends are ready for the winters there

[gevatter Lars]

I agree with Vyper....when I got out of school I started studing different things...made some mistakes their changed directions here and their but now I am doing the same thing for 2 years and its still interesting so I think I finaly found something I want to do in the future.

Only thing I can say is...don't let yourself be pressed into something you don't stand behind.
I let it happen cause I didn't know what else to do and I got more and more into trouble.
Don't know if it helps, but look what you got, what your interests and talents are and then take a look if you find something in that direction for work/school/study.

[Grug]

Well, I reached the end of my study, and fell into a ditch. I didn't know what to do with myself, or where my place is in the great scheme of things etc etc.
I'm still in that ditch. Hopefully I can find a way out. I think I'm mentally retarded in some way though, because things I've been meaning to do never actually happen. I guess I'm just an idiot.
I've got some things in the works at the moment anyway. After job hunting etc, I'm leaning more towards working on my own business. I think I'd rather get a little bit more education though, so I might end up doing a small tafe course to scrub up.

My advise: don't stop. You've got to keep the momentum that you have when you finish your education. Don't go traveling etc, find a job (preferably one that you like) and stick with it. Build savings, invest, buy a house, etc etc.

Just don't fall into a ditch.

Good luck.

[Blitzerland]

I'm planning on starting my own business. Despite my well-known ambitions to join up with Microsoft, I could never live as a lackey.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by IceFire
I know we have of younger people on the boards but we've also got quite a few guys who have been around the block a few times.

I'm about a week from finishing all work pertaining to university.  Its going to be hell because there is so much to do and naturally I'm stressed to the limit but its all counter balanced by the fact that its over.  And now I'm really not sure whats in the cards now.

Its really like a profound sense of loss really.  All of the sudden, school is finished, and its gone.  Really don't know what to do with myself or how to approach it.

How have you folks who have gone through that approached the future?  What did you do to get you going again?

To be honest, i never got going... I dropped into a series of short term, semi-freelance, programming contracts which I've only just finished, and which I pretty much hated working with.

And I'm at pretty much the same position.... I've got a good - a bloody good - degree, but I'm not sure I'll be able to do what I'd want to do, because it's not necessarily the right degree for that.  So I'm considering just going back to uni for an MSc or maybe even a PhD, in the hope I can figure out what to do with the next 40 years or so.

I'd recommend taking a gap year or something if you can afford it; it'll probably be the only chance you have.

[Flipside]

Thing is about school, at least I find in the UK is that whilst they are big on making sure you have an education, they are actually pretty damn poor at helping you decide what you actually want to do in the future. I knew someone who spent years wanting to be a chef, and even after getting all the training, it wasn't till he actually started working as a chef that he realised it wasn't what he wanted to do after all.

It's not nearly as uncommon as people think, it's the famous 'When I grow up...' line, which almost never comes true.

Schools really should be teaching kids theory between the ages of about 4+ and application in real life from about 9+, and be over by about 12-13 years, but then, I also think that Primary School, as it exists, is a waste of good learning time.

[IceFire]

Originally posted by Flipside
Thing is about school, at least I find in the UK is that whilst they are big on making sure you have an education, they are actually pretty damn poor at helping you decide what you actually want to do in the future. I knew someone who spent years wanting to be a chef, and even after getting all the training, it wasn't till he actually started working as a chef that he realised it wasn't what he wanted to do after all.

It's not nearly as uncommon as people think, it's the famous 'When I grow up...' line, which almost never comes true.

Schools really should be teaching kids theory between the ages of about 4+ and application in real life from about 9+, and be over by about 12-13 years, but then, I also think that Primary School, as it exists, is a waste of good learning time.

Same deal here in Canada.  So few things change

[Taristin]

Hell, I don't even know what I'm doing in school, let alone what I'll do when I get out...


Which reminds me, I have to go pick a new major from a hat...

[Rand al Thor]

Well if you want to travel that much then just do it.

Me, I'm only out of college nearly a year. Spent about a month looking for a job (I studied computer science, so programming) got a really crappy minimal career wage one doing tech support. Worked there for three months feeling like my head was gonna explode. But I was saving.

Then over the course of one day me and a friend decided over messenger that we were going travelling round eastern europe. Left two weeks later for a month. It was class. Never been happier to come home or more weary but I'd do nothing different.

I'm in the same type of job now but with sound people and I can have a bit of a laugh. Good money as well cause I'm a contractor. But basically, its nothing to do with what I studied. So, come May 31st I'm going to San Diego for the summer. Might not have a job when I come back but hey, thats what welfare is for. I'm gonna be working and paying taxes all my life. Most people go travelling when they've finished college because of just that. It's the fisrt almost total ending in life. Youre starting fresh so there's no responsibilities to hold you back, or at least a few as there are ever likely to be.

I mean, I know I'm only talking bout myself here but I reckon you should. I don't even like doing programming much so why jump straight into a job.

Just one thing. Finish BWO first if you can.

[Blitzerland]

Dude, you're willing to give up a job as a contractor?

Let's hope you're lying.