I’ve made a discovery
It might be surprising to some. Others, not so much.
University is a goddamn a walk in the park.
I left Manchester Metropolitan having put nearly every single bit of my energy in to freelancing and coursework during third year.
And it burned me out. Working long hours, hustling as much as I possibly could, sacrificing time with friends. I thought it wouldn’t get much harder in life than that 12 month period between June 2015 and 2016.
How naive I was.
Student life is nothing compared to what hits you in the face as soon as university sets you free.
It starts with finding a job, that ain’t easy. Email after email, CV tweak after CV tweak. Days wondering if you’ll ever get a job. Days wondering if you’re even worth hiring. Days wondering if you’ll have to give and go back home.
In the meantime — if you have the money — you need somewhere to stay.
As a student, the process of renting somewhere is unbelievably smooth. It might seem like that basic contract, those guarantor forms and collecting everyone’s deposits is a bitch to sort out at the time, but it’s ridiculously simple compared to getting in to a proper rented place.
And there are agency fees. I hate agency fees.
So, by now, if you’re lucky, you’ve got a nice and furnished house/flat/apartment and a decent job. If you don’t have furniture, well, you’d better quickly get on Gumtree.
Next up are bills. I was lucky enough to live with big groups of people in big houses while I was at university, so we always asked for bills included. But if you weren’t like me, you’ll know that, days after moving in, there’s a lot to sort.
Gas. Electric. Water.
Then comes Council Tax. That didn’t exist as a student.
TV Licence. Ridiculous.
The bus is more expensive now that you have to pay weekly rather than get a pass for the whole year. £13.50 every Monday.
And don’t even get me started on how little time you’ll have.
I work 9–5:30. I love my job. I’m having a blast.
But I can’t get anything done.
Everything is open either 9–5 or 9–6 and by the time I’m out of work, I’ve missed my opportunity to sort my shit.
While you’re a student, even if you’re working/studying long hours, at least you have the flexibility to stop what you’re doing and go back to it later on in the day.
With a full-time job you get none of that.
The freedom is limited. The flexibility is gone.
If you want to do your own thing on top of work, you better be prepared to hustle harder than you ever have before.
University is a goddamn a walk in the park.
