I feel the same. I’ve had to move back home after graduating, which I am aware I am in a very privileged position to be able to do, so I feel bad complaining because I am obviously not having to worry about money or rent or things like that (I just have to put a manageable amount of money towards certain things) and I am obviously very grateful to my family as this is allowing me to save up money and process the whirlwind that the past four years of uni have been. But at the same time it’s so hard moving back home and adapting to living with your family again as an adult and setting new boundaries. I feel like its so hard to talk about… I completely feel left behind because a lot of people I went to uni with, as well as people from my hometown, have moved away and moved onto new things. I do have a job, but it is commutable from my hometown, so there’s no point in me spending money and renting somewhere when I have the option to stay at home. So I know it’s a logical decision for me right now. But I still can’t help but feel a bit down about it 😢
your post-graduation vids are so fascinating for me to watch as a first year!! i also want to say that i rlly appreciate your casualness with talking about how you've cut down/cut out drinking because im going through the same thing and im really enjoying it and ive found friends where it doesn't affect anything :)
Hi Lydia, I definitely relate to you and I graduated 5 years ago now. I’ve always loved learning and I found it hard to be out of that environment especially when I felt like I’d just got into my groove in final year. I also found it hard to adapt from independent study organising your own time to full time employment. Plus being in a group of friends where we were all studying, working part time etc to all doing different things. I still compare myself now feeling lost with my sense of direction, feeling like I need to go over & above even now to be liked in the workplace when I’m still finding myself. I enjoy what I do, but I don’t know what my passion is. I love travel but I love the stability of having a base and full time salary too. I’ve had to have words with myself working in a small team that I don’t need to compare to others- they might be amazing at public speaking etc but doesn’t mean I have to be.
The feeling of comparison stays with you and I’m 25. I’m a teacher and went straight into teaching when i graduated in 2020. I still end up comparing my current job with what my friends are doing. Part of me wonders whether i’ll stay in teacher or whether i’m going to do something entire different career wise. Part of my feelings are due to me assuming that everyone has got it all figured out when the reality is everyone is figuring out there on thing at different paces
I’m 26 and graduated 5 years ago now. I can relate to you & the pressure I put on myself thinking others have it figured out when I haven’t found my passion as such yet.
Loving your content as always❤ As someone who graduated a few years ago, let me tell you once you're not a student anymore, this comparison and the feeling of anxiousness can go on forever, because as everyone goes forward, the differences in decision making keep coming up in all aspects of life. And you just have to keep reminding yourself that you are living your life for yourself and you are the one who should be happy with it, not the others It's really hard sometimes, but as you get more comfortable with it, it keeps making you more confident❤
completely understand where you’re coming from with the feeling of constant comparison and not having a clear direction after leaving uni. i only left uni after 3 months of being there because i realised it wasn’t the right thing for me, but the absence of learning and transitioning to being in a different environment, working full time and living at home again was such a weird one. it’s so normal to feel left behind or not like you’re at the same stage as everyone, but i assure you, you’re doing brilliant lydia! i admire you so much and am so happy to say i’ve been here since you were revising for a levels, it’s been incredible to watch your growth. your life is yours to live, and keep doing what makes you happy. you’re doing incredible
This was such a great video. I feel the same. I actually graduated my undergrad a year and a half ago (🤯) but I've gone down a law conversion route so I'm still (sort of) a student. I feel like I keep seeing everyone else's lives and panicking that the path that I've locked in to (at least for the next 3 years) isn't the right one, even though I know I find work in the legal industry super interesting and I know that there's sooooo many options within the industry if I end up not wanting to be a solicitor. So I keep panicking so much that I'm not truly enjoying my time now and not making the most of it and then I panic that I'm not making the most of my time now, it's kind of an endless spiral 😂
Hi Lydia! I'm loving these podcast-style videos :)) I would love one where you talk more about what it's been like living and travelling with Sid? Like how you guys have adjusted to living with each other whilst also travelling together, making each place feel more like home, balancing work/life, what you've learned/found challenging and things like that. Am not even close to being a post-grad student haha but still find these videos very interesting to watch! xx
Thank you for this video ❤ Have found it hard to put into words how I've been feeling since finishing uni in the sunmer but found your reflection on being worried about being held back on this grand plan (without knowing what it is) and not feeling enough sometimes very relatable
Dear Lydia, we are not alone indeed. And we struggle for different reasons. Somethings, even though you seem to have all figured out on the outside, you’re still questioning yourself on the inside. I got into a PhD, but I still wonder whether it’s the right choice and I have no clue of what to do long term either. Thank you for sharing this. If we all opened up about fragilities and problems, our overall mental health would benefit a lot❤
Hey Lydia, I always love watching your videos. I completely understand how you are feeling, this is the exact feeling I had for a long time about the future and about what I might theoretically be doing. I now have a plan figured out, but I learned along the way, that things are going to happen the way they are supposed to happen. If there is a job opening that you are interested in, but what you are currently doing doesn’t fit, then maybe it is not meant to be. There will come a time and a place, where all of this is going to fall into place and make sense. It might not be today, or tomorrow but the day will come and until than, you are in this place where you are allowed to just experience life as it is right now, until it will change again in the future, as life always does. All the best to you :)
Hi Lydia... I've watched a few of your Australian travel videos (I'm Australian). You're one of the most natural, calm and pleasant to watch people - with a nice voice too. You mention some interest in plants, early on in the above video - maybe you could get into presenting gardening videos?
Can totally relate since I graduated in May from my masters degree! I hadn’t really thought about the fact that regardless of which path/what choices you make after graduation that we often all feel in a similar way. I’m working in a corporate job in Helsinki, Finland and I’m constantly asking myself is this really what I should be doing? Is this really what I want? Should I be going traveling or finding a job that gives me more freedom to travel? Do I want to live here in Finland long term? The long list of questions is endless… I for sure don’t have a long term plan and still trying to figure out what I truly want to do in my life. To be honest, I feel really overwhelmed because I feel like the opportunities or ways you could decided to lead your life are so many… It’s led me to become more anxious since I really struggle when I’m not in control and don’t 100% have a plan. I’d like to say don’t be afraid of reaching out to others for help or discuss what you are thinking/worried about. For example, I’ve been attending free sessions with a mental health coach as well as a career coach which has for sure been helping. Thank you for sharing Lydia 💕
I love the title. It is very true.. (at least for me). Thanks for making the series. I am interested to know how you are coping with the changes, especially with the current higher living expenses. From your perspective, do you feel any difference living in the U.K., Germany and now Canada in general as a fresh graduate?
We personally found the rent and living costs actually less in Berlin than they were in the UK, the rent in Canada is also fairly similar, but the general living costs here are much more, especially groceries!
