Advice from our fresh grads: transitioning from student to graduate
Graduating this summer? Transitioning from a student to a graduate, regardless of whether you are starting an internship or full-time job, considering a Master’s, or thinking of going on a travel gap year, is the start of a new and exciting chapter. Embarking on this journey can be challenging and overwhelming due to the changes in lifestyle and responsibilities. Here at LOVESPACE, we asked the fresh grads of our team to provide us with some advice and tips on how to make the transition from a student to graduate a smooth and enjoyable process. Here's what they had to say:
Question 1: ‘What was the biggest challenge you faced when you transitioned from being a student to a graduate, and how did you overcome them?’
N (Operations Team Assistant Intern):
‘Being an international student, I had to move countries a couple of times. When I finished my degree, I had to initially move back to my home country for work, but ended up coming back to the UK to pursue a Master’s degree, and now this internship programme. I overcame it by being adaptable and open-minded to the opportunities that came to me.’
T (Marketing Executive):
‘I started working at LOVESPACE right after I completed my Master’s, and the biggest challenge for me was getting used to a routine. At uni, you can decide yourself when to study, relax and hang out with your friends, and you had all the control. But starting a full-time job means getting used to a 9-5 and a more structured lifestyle. I overcame it by staying organised and building new habits, like going to the gym on specific days of the week and ensuring I sleep before 11pm to have enough energy at work.’
Question 2: ‘How did you plan or prepare moving out of your student accommodation and do you have any tips for organising and packing efficiently?’
A (Customer Service Representative Intern):
‘Pack in advance!! Start early and pack any seasonal items you don’t currently use like winter clothes. It can be a tedious thing to do and it’s so easy to leave it to the last minute. But trust me you will thank yourself later.’
C (Customer Service Representative Intern):
‘You just have to do it really. Find ways to motivate yourself to get you through it. I like to listen to music or watch TV shows whilst packing to make the time pass faster and get as much packing done as possible in one session.’
N (Operations Team Assistant Intern):
‘I organised my stuff into 3 piles: essential, non-essential, and garbage. It was a good way to prioritise my belongings, especially as an international student who had to do the moving all by myself - I couldn’t bring all of my stuff with me. I packed my suitcases with the essentials first, and in the remaining spaces packed as much of the non-essential items as possible. The rest that couldn’t fit, I either gave away to friends and family, donated or threw away.’
Question 3: ‘How has your work-life balance changed from being a student to now working at LOVESPACE, and how do you maintain that healthy balance?'
G (Customer Service Representative Intern):
‘I stay organised by scheduling as much as possible. I make plans with my friends in advance and add all of my tasks, plans and events into my work and personal calendars to make sure I have sufficient time to relax and socialise throughout the week.’
A (Customer Service Representative Intern):
‘Work can involve a lot of screentime, so after work I try to enjoy my free time with active and social activities like going on a walk with my friends.’
N (Operations Team Assistant Intern):
‘Work-life balance is a bit tougher to maintain now, as me and most of my friends are working, so making time to hang out is a lot harder. To maintain a good work-life balance I have gone back to video games to fill the void. Online games are a fun, and efficient way to hang out with friends. All it takes is a couple hours a week to catch up with each other.’
Question 4: ‘What skills did you find most valuable transitioning from a student to a member of the LOVESPACE team?’
J (Operations Team Assistant Intern):
‘Attention to detail. I feel like this applies to any kind of work context, but especially as someone who works in a very operational role, building habits of double-checking and communicating with our drivers to ensure all our collections and deliveries run smoothly, is super important.’
A (Customer Service Representative Intern):
‘Empathy. Being able to understand and relate to the experiences of students who use our services has helped me respond back in a professional and compassionate way, when helping customers on the phone.’
T (Marketing Executive):
‘Time management is so important. In the same way that you tackle different assignments and projects in uni, for me, I have many social media and email campaigns I need to draft and publish within my work week. Using my work calendar to dedicate myself time to complete tasks helps me to keep track of my progress and get things done according to plan.’
N (Operations Team Assistant Intern):
‘Free time efficiency. When I was a student, I had so much free time that I could see my friends, watch TV shows and play games whenever I wanted to. Now that I am working, my personal time is more precious, so I have developed much better judgement and prioritisation skills when it comes to deciding what to do in my free time.’
Question 5: 'What piece of advice would you give yourself if you could go back in time to when you were a student?'
C (Customer Service Representative Intern):
‘Try and figure out what you want to do early, so that you can gain work experience and do as much self-educating as possible to build your CV and kick start your desired career path.’
J (Operations Team Assistant Intern):
‘Don’t be too harsh on yourself. Job hunting can be stressful and most of the time requires patience to find the right job for you. Take good care of both your physical and mental health and work somewhere that prioritises your interests and well-being.’
G (Customer Service Representative Intern):
‘Believe in yourself, everything will work itself out in its own time.’
T (Marketing Executive):
‘Stay ambitious and start your research and networking early. It will help you in the long run in gaining valuable experience in the field you want to progress in.’
N (Operations Team Assistant Intern):
‘Enjoy the free time you have now, you won’t have as much of it when you start working!’