Wondering How to Take That Next Step? Here Are Five Essential Tips for Every Graduating Student

This post is presented in partnership with the University of Canberra.

For some students, the end of high school is near. Hey, that’s fun!

Meaning, it’s time to figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life. That’s… less fun.

Graduating students right now are flooded with competing feelings of excitement and, let’s face it, pure terror.

That’s the report from Frank Larkin, the University of Canberra’s Manger for Domestic Student Recruitment, who speaks to thousands of students a year to lay-out their options after school.

"[Leaving is] both scary and also very, very thrilling after 13 years of formal schooling," he says.

But many apparently don’t even know what waits for them beyond high school. And their perception of university is a little warped.

"[There are] those who get it, those who are confused by the whole thing and those who have quite heavy misconceptions," he says.

"I think the big thing is a lot of people feel like they’re locking themselves in. I think a lot of people don’t realise how flexible a university degree is."

That’s why we asked him for five essential tips that every graduating student—regardless of pathway—could use when selecting their course and their place of study. Read them. Memorise them. Live by them.

1. Consider what you really want.

Got a general idea of what you want to study next year? Take a second—or, hey, maybe a full minute—to narrow it down.

Yes, this will involve some self-reflection.

Frank advises against picking a course based purely on the “prestige” of its name. He also recommends figuring out your strongest interests, because “course options can be much more specific than you may have thought."

"There’s certain to be something out there that is perfect for you, either in terms of getting you to where you want to be when you graduate, or keeping you interested and excited where you’re studying," he adds.

"It’s a real shame to see people who just pick the thing that they’re comfortable with or they’ve been told that they should do, rather than what is going to be right for them."

2. Do your own research.

"Graduating students are going to have so many people who are coming from a very positive place, trying to give them well-meaning advice," Frank says.

The thing is, those people may not have, erm, the most up-to-date information, even if they do talk from personal experience.

Besides, only one person can really make the final decision at the end of the day, and that’s you.

Frank recommends the government website QILT, which compares courses across different institutions, based on student experience and graduate employment.

"There’s so much data, people are going to be able to find some really meaningful information to help them make choices about the different options, in terms of what is important to them and what they actually are looking for," he says.

3. Create a student experience that’s going to suit you.

Did you get your idea of uni life from American movies? You may be in for a surprise when you rock up on your first day.

The good news is you have even more freedom than you realise to design the student experience that best fits your needs.

"Not all courses are the same,” Frank says.

“Even courses with the same name, you’ll find that there are very different variations from institution to institution.

"See who offers what’s going to be important to you. Are there study abroad options, or funded opportunities to internationalise [your] study experience? Is there flexibility in the study pattern? Is there an example to personalise the content of your degree, to give you the best outcome for when you do graduate and go on to that first job?"

These are the questions you should be asking, people.

4. Don’t fear the new or unknown.

Frank describes life after school as "such an exciting time".

"For most students, their life is never going to be as flexible as this again, so it’s a great opportunity to take advantage of that," he adds. "To embark on a new chapter in your life and almost start afresh."

In the immortal words of Billy Madison: Cherish it.

For instance, Frank suggests being open to a course in a different city, especially if it "sounds like it would be perfect".

"This is the time in your life. You don’t have a mortgage; you don’t have kids in school. You’ll never be as free to follow the opportunities as you are right now."

5. Have a Plan B.

It’s always smart to have a backup plan, and there’s no shame in needing to use it.

In fact, as Frank explains, there are many reasons why a student might need to use their Plan B, even if they’re mostly enjoying their degree.

"For students who have a clear plan and follow that, it might not necessarily end up being exactly what they dreamt it’d be, or what they wanted," he says.

"They should have an idea if that institution has opportunities to transfer courses internally, or if they’ve chosen a double degree, can they drop that second degree? Or if they've chosen a single degree, and they like where it’s headed but it’s a bit dry, can you add another course to turn it into a double degree? Does the course allow students to shift their study load from part-time to full-time?"

Also, when selecting your course and institution, consider the services available for academic, financial and pastoral support, in case you "find that [you] are struggling in any of those areas”, which can be common while undertaking “something that’s quite different to what [you’ve] done before."