Two students wearing graduation gowns and caps embrace in a hug. The girl facing the camera with dark hair is smiling.

May 18, 2023, by ahyeo2

It’s My Final Ever Term at University… What Now?

By Emily Oxbury, MA History student blogger 

As the summer term approaches, and Graduation day looms, I’m sure many students will have the sudden moment of realisation that this is their last ever term at university. A scary feeling. But there’s still plenty of time to sneak in a few last minute things to help you towards securing your dream job.

Here are my top four options of things to get involved with in the summer term:

Attend a careers appointment 

A great starting point if you’re totally unsure on what to do next, is to visit the Careers team! Their friendly staff, located on D Floor in the Portland Building, are happy to chat through a multitude of post-university options with you. The team is also available for CV reviews, and to help with writing covering letters or personal statements. You can even attend one of their drop-in sessions across campus throughout the term – no pre-booking required! Find out more. 

Smarten your CV 

Now is a great opportunity to spruce up your CV. Don’t forget to add all the fantastic skills, qualifications and opportunities you’ve gathered whilst at university – be it that you’ve completed your First Aid training, been on a society committee, worked a part time job or been a student ambassador. University life enriches your CV so be sure to update yours to reflect this. If you’ve got a big digital presence on platforms like LinkedIn, be sure to update these to reflect your CV too. 

Volunteer 

If you’re worried your CV is lacking, there’s still plenty of time to further your skillset. A multitude of volunteering opportunities are available (especially during the summer). Some examples include Scouting and Girlguiding camps, charity work at music festivals and stewarding roles at fun runs and marathons across the country. 

Apply for further study! 

Whilst the process to apply for undergraduate study closes very early in the academic year, the situation is not the same for postgraduate study. Most courses give you until mid-summer to apply for their master’s programmes, so if you think further study is for you – get applying! You may also be surprised to find out about the diverse range of courses available at postgraduate level for the first time. Many programmes also allow you to complete the course part-time, over two years, if you need a less intensive education programme. Search the full catalogue of courses available.

If there’s one take away message from this post, it should be that there’s still plenty of time to squish in a few final university experiences. Make the most of the fantastic services available to students, and throw yourself into any and every opportunity that comes your way!

Explore our website for helpful advice and links to resources.

Posted in Graduating in 2023Student Bloggers