Considering your future?
Published on 15 March 12
Thinking you might have taken the wrong course? Disappointing grades or confusion about job prospects can be unsettling and cause uncertainty in your life – but it doesn't have to be that way.
- One last push to improve your grades
This far into the second semester, with a large bulk of assignments already behind you, it can feel like time is running out; that doesn’t mean you can’t give your grades a final boost – even if you are in your final year.
This is an obvious one; but there is no point just guessing why you received a below average mark, and even if you think you know why you got the grades you did, finding out for certain provides valuable guidance for your upcoming assignments and revision.
You can request transcripts of your work and arrange meetings with your tutors to go through your assignment and exam results. A good place to start is a chat with your Academic Advisor, tutor or supervisor.
- Don't guess or listen to hear say
Worried friends, rumours and headline grabbing news stories can leave you feeling destined fail 'impossible exams' or that there 'aren’t any jobs' for graduates. These negative attitudes can really start to get you down, and put a dent in your confidence.
Don't listen to every rumour you hear. Stay calm, find out the facts and then you can work towards achieving your goals in a sensible way. If you have worries about upcoming exams and assignments then talking to your Academic advisor is a good place to start, but the independent Student Guidance Service and confidential Counselling Service are also here to help.
As for the graduate job market – no matter how know-it-all that friend of yours may seem, the only real job experts on campus are the staff at the award winning Careers Service. Check out their website, call up, or drop by Crawford House and get all of your questions answered accurately and honestly. Don’t miss the opportunity to get expert help with your CV or even a particular job application.
The Careers Service also has a great network of employers who particularly look to recruit Manchester Graduates – check out their current vacancies feed or ask their advice on how to go about getting that dream job.
Think the Careers Service is only here to help students who want to get on Graduate schemes or know exactly what they want to do yet? That’s not true. Don’t forget it is still Careers With a Difference month, helping you to find your way towards the career that would suit you best.
- I really have chosen the wrong course
If you really think you have chosen the wrong course, then all the academic and financial pressures that come with that are too much to deal with on your own. As well as leaning on the support from friends and family, make sure you get professional help deciding what to do next.
For independent and expert advice on changing course, time out from or even leaving University all together, start with your Academic Advisor, the Student Guidance Service, or the Advice Centre in the Students’ Union.
The Advice Centre at the Union can also help you deal with the emotional upheaval and stress of making this decision, as can the free confidential listening service Nightline, or the University’s Counselling Service.
- Graduating this year? Don't forget to put the June Graduate Fair (13 and 14 June) in your diary. Over 160 exhibitors attend this fair from a wide range of sectors, providing something of interest for students of all degree disciplines.