[bctt tweet=”All students should make plans for life after school if they plan to be #MotherlandMoguls” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”]
One of the biggest mistakes students make is avoiding the future. That is making no plans for after school or laying down foundations for post graduate life. Many times, you see graduates sitting at home even after the one year National Youth Service without potential jobs or side gigs and no money.
With the rate of unemployment, post-graduate life is scary. That’s why you shouldn’t be slacking! Here are a few tips on things to do before leaving school so you’re on top of your game after graduation.
1. Save up
Whether you are in your first year, your last year or in-between, if you haven’t started, it is time to get on the bandwagon.
A little sum put away at intervals makes a substantial sum at the end of the day. Sometimes, the money is just not enough, we get that. Still, shaving a little off the top before facing your list of needs and wants, helps build a safety blanket.
This may help finance a start-up venture or provide sustenance during the dry after-school days.
2. Lay it all out
Things don’t always go the way we plan but trust me girl, it feels good to have a plan. Now, I am not just talking about relationship and marriage plans, which are needed. I am talking business and entrepreneurial visions.
Map it out. Map the road to those goals out too. Yes, things change, life happens, and sometimes we have to make some tweaks to our initial plans. Yet, it is necessary to have something to look forward to after school and to work towards them.
Your plan will determine how you work in school. Your grade points and your business life will also be geared towards those visions. Think this is too much work? Don’t, you’ll be thanking us in the future.
[bctt tweet=”Your future plans will determine how you work while in school” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”]
3. Make use of the opportunity
If you plan on working within your course of study then being in school is the right time to become a member of the professional body of your course. Here’s a tip, it is usually cheaper to join professional bodies as students than as postgraduates.
Another thing to make use of is online courses. Most campuses have free or cheap WiFi access and most service providers have special plans that are campus oriented. Use this to your advantage and get a boatload of free or cheap relevant online courses without breaking the bank on data charges.
Business wise, you can use the opportunity to hone your skills, go online and improve your work. Though the workload might be bulky, students still have a great chance to fit in extracurricular activities.
So, rather than spending too much time partying it up (this is needed but it’s not a priority), carve out time to use what is available to you to get what you want.
[bctt tweet=”Start making friendships that will last a lifetime while in university” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”]
4. Squad goals
Yes! Start making friendships that will last a lifetime. This is the best period to build your support team and your squad.
You can figure out people of like minds, goals and visions, people with the ability to propel you. No haters, slackers or scrubs need apply. You need true friends to stand by you.
Friends whose lanes cross with yours, but never clash. This can be the foundation of an empire tomorrow. Squad shopping is slightly hard but not impossible. Making close-knit friendships post-school can be hard but in school you have lost of time for girls night out and everything in between. You get to plant, water and grow something beautiful —your squad.
5. Please LIVE!
You know the saying, “don’t just go through school, let school go through you”? Live, savour every moment, do not zone out and do not go through school in a haze! Make sure your time in school is filled with memorable days.
Keep a journal if necessary (which is like totally necessary). Make mistakes and learn. Get yourself out of messes, dust yourself and go on. Let your school life be one massive “WHOOP!!!!” with a lot of “yays!” and a few “oops!”
[bctt tweet=”Live, savour every moment, do not zone out and do not go through school in a haze!” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”]
Go all round, do not be fixed, fit in, then stand out. Complicated, yeah? But no. There are places to fit in and there are other places where you need to do you. Be well rounded, academically, socially and spiritually. Make every moment count and have an amazing squad to share them with.
Finally, here is a toast to you for the amazing journey you will embark on.
