After spending almost 20 years of life in education, it is a daunting thought that in just a few weeks’ time, everything is going to change.
All of a sudden, your whole future is yours, there is no one telling you what to do and when to do it for.
And there are two different sides to this, it is freeing to think that you won’t be weighed down under constant looming deadlines.
What you choose to do next is completely up to you, the world really is your oyster.
On the other side, you lose the safety net of being in education.
And all around you everything is changing, you can’t just stay where you are forever because all of your friends are moving on too.
Overall, fourth year feels split into two very different experiences.
The first semester is fun, there is a lot more work than there has been in any other university year, but you can still somewhat enjoy yourself.
Then comes the second semester, reading week is no longer a thing, you are doing something every day until your deadlines.
Reading week, despite the name, was probably spent going on holiday or returning home to visit family, catching up with friends you haven’t been able to see.
However, there isn’t much time to rest for your second semester reading week.
Whether it is university work, applying for jobs, or just figuring out what it is you want to do after completing your undergraduate career, it is 12 weeks of constant thinking.
Everything in fourth year comes with negatives and positives, and although the 12 weeks will be the longest, most stressful weeks of your life, they are also the most rewarding.
Your dissertation is like wrapping everything you have learned at university into one big bundle finished neatly with a bow.
It is incredible to see the small steps you take to complete your dissertation, from thinking it will be impossible to write 10,000 words to seeing the word count creep higher and higher.
So, it is important to be proud of yourself for handling everything that is being thrown at you.
Especially when it becomes hard to prioritise completing your last ever year at university or applying to jobs or postgraduate degrees.
Ultimately, you have to try and enjoy it no matter how tough it is, because soon you might be working full-time, wishing you could go back to the university days when you actually did have all the time in the world.
When you start university, fourth year is the furthest thing from your mind, you feel like you have ages before then.
However, it comes at you fast, you really do blink, and it is here, but it is important that you don’t let it overwhelm you.
Look forward to the future, be proud of how much you have achieved, and realise how much you have grown as a person, because that is the person who is going on your next adventure.
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