after uni
What comes next?
What general advice is out there and what is tailored more specifically to me and my situation? You’ll find some of the answers here.
And some useful links here.
Photo by Clayton Cardinalli on Unsplash
Graduation
Graduation is a time for celebration, but it can also be a cause of anxiety. How am I going to pay for a gown? Where am I going to stay if I’m no longer living locally? Who am I going to invite? The chances are, your university can support you with these issues. Make sure you talk to your designated contact if attending graduation is going to be a struggle for you; they might be able to offer financial or other kinds of help to make sure you get the chance to graduate alongside your fellow students.
Jobs
Hopefully, you’ve been in touch with your careers service at some point whilst you’re studying, but we all know this doesn’t always happen! Regardless, universities will often be able to give you careers advice, help with CV writing and job hunting support for a period of time after you finish your course. Talk to your careers service to find out what they can do for you.
Further Study
Did you enjoy studying? Is there a subject you want to pursue further? It might be that you’ve decided that a particular career is for you and you need to do another course. These are just some of the reasons you might think of going on to do a Masters degree, PhD or a professional course. Universities tend to hold specific open days for postgraduate study and, as with undergraduate open days, it’s worth getting in touch to find out whether they offer any specific sessions or advice for care experienced students. Much like with undergraduate, universities and local authorities all have different levels of support, but it is always worth asking to find out what kind of financial or other support you’re entitled to.
General Support
If there are any questions you have that aren’t answered here and you can’t find through your university or local authority, we recommend getting in touch with the Rees Foundation . The Rees Foundation provide life-long support for people with care experience, including general advice, support with housing, financial support and more.
The Rees Foundation
The Rees Foundation understands the importance of a having a lifelong support network. Their aim is to help care experienced people thrive. The Rees Foundation offers help and advice to care experienced individuals about any concern and they are always there to listen. They run a number of projects that hopefully can make a real difference to care experienced people of any age and want to celebrate any and all personal and professional achievements of those who have experienced being in care, no matter how big or small.