Post-Campus Struggles: Real Life is Harder than University Exams

By Jemedari Mwanawakiume

Life at University is the epitome of everything. You are surrounded by the coolest people, you have parties, events and everything people dream about for a social life. The girls are in plenty, even the nerdy of nerds will have someone to chaw.
But then someone convinces us that there is a better life, that we should all work hard to graduate. Boom. The final exams set in. Exams done. Projects are presented and real life begins in a way that’s unannounced.
Then all of a sudden, one by one, people pick up opportunities. Every one becomes desperate to get something called a job.
Nothing is more annoying than continuously hearing the question; “Where are you now?”
And for the parents, once they hear that campus is done, they immediately imagine their financial woes done. The only time they will part with any money is if you tell them of a job application you are making. But of course few jobs are interested in taking people with incomplete transcripts, people who are yet to graduate. In simple terms, no one really wants to hire a fresh graduate.
You may have wished for all the sleep in the world but nothing eats up your miserable post-campus life like waking up without a person.
You get breakfast, switch on the television, shuffle through the channels and it all doesn’t help. You take some sleep but it still sucks.
Someone on the Whatsapp group mentions a job opportunity. Either they need a specific course or a certain CGPA. Somehow you are never the right person.
So what does one do? Relax? No way. This is the time to multiply your effort. This is the time to learn more skills, experiment with them and perfect them.
You see, you can teach yourself how to program in this period until a job comes around. You can go perfect driving a manual car. You can go learn about hair-dressing, baking.
This time is hard because you are comparing yourself to your friends who now wake up to go to a job and expect a paycheck at the end of the month. But don’t be scared. Perfect your skills, grab every opportunity that comes around.
And most importantly network with people much older than you. Go to corporate parties and meet those CEOs. Make sure your communication skills get perfected in this period.
Visit every job site like Brighter Monday, Ever Jobs, Uganda Jobs Online. Make a list of companies you would like to work for and visit their websites on a daily basis, they usually post jobs there. Look out for management and graduate training programs.
To cut the long story short. You need thick skin and perseverance. These two will take you a long way in this post-campus period. When your moment comes, you will be the right person for it.