Life After Uni & First Grad Job

Hi Everyone, festive greetings to you all!!

Sorry it has been soooo long :/ 5 months since my last post here :( A quick run down of what has transpired since then: I've graduated, went on holiday to Germany & Switzerland, got a boyfriend, started my first grad job, moved to a new city, got dumped, struggled through work, considered quitting my job, questioned life.....you get the picture I hope!

So during these exciting times there has been a mixture of highs and lows and valuable life lessons and experiences. I've now been working for 4 months almost, so I thought that it was a good time to post a reflection. I'll give each one a stress score from 0 to 4

July stress levels = 0 very low
When graduating one feels a big sense of pride (and slight embarrassment from the big deal your parents make out of it). The world is your oyster! But university, some of the best years and memories, are behind you. Everything has changed, you get a pang of loss, but a sense of accomplishment heavily outweighs that.

The great hall

Luckily I had secured a job prior to graduation so I sat my arse at home for the whole summer with only my parent's nagging to worry about, this was broken up by a 10 day holiday to Germany and Switzerland. If you'd like me to blog on that please comment below!

Basel Altstadt (Basel Oldtown)

August stress levels = 1 low
Prior to working I went to visit the lad who I had been exchanging texts and calls with since May and we had a wonderful weekend in Scotland fireworks and all that jazz lol. He catered for me, looked after me, and was good at all the important things...if you catch my drift ;) He even brought up the 'relationship conversation' So I started work with a spring in my step and very little anxiety.

Birthday Jokes #They're too young for me

September stress levels = 2 normal
Work was pretty slow paced I was still chatting to this guy and making plans for a 2nd visit. It was also my birthday this month so I had the usual I'm getting old moan everyone has past the age of 21. During the later weeks of the month I started questioning whether I really liked the company or the work I was doing...pretty ridiculous right??? Especially since I'd only been working a few weeks. Looking back on it now I was being too impatient.

Fish and Sticky Rice

October stress levels = N/A depression
Wonderboy calls and dumps me...out of the blue....I am hating life: anger, depression, loneliness. I haven't made many new friends at this stage and my job is nakering me out. I don't know wtf I'm doing and there is a lot of pressure, expectation, travel, politics that is adding insult to injury.

November stress levels = 4 high
I want to quit my job! I want to jack it all in. The travelling is at a high I live on trains and plains and I'm never in my flat. Hotels, public transport and different offices are my new home :( I am missing wonderboy and my uni friends. I go to visit a few to get some TLC and also make a trip home. This is good but as to my time in transit...

December stress levels = 5 unhealthy
I have bad stomach pains. I go to the doctor as my stomach pains are becoming unbearable and I'm having trouble eating. I've given myself severe indigestion from all the stressing out, coffee and alcohol (work socials). I get good feedback at work, I give a presentation to my line manager and the head of engineering and they're thoroughly impressed with what I've been doing. My team leader also rates me and says he's happy with my performance.

SO WHAT WAS I STRESSED ABOUT???????

I've realised that I need to learn to let things go and accept that I don't have full control. Take a chill pill and let God take control. Sorry if it seems like I just threw this on the page. Let me know what areas you would like me to go into more detail and I'll make more posts.

Thanks so much for reading

Fi
xoxoxo

Post Results

I received my results for my chemical engineering degree today. All I can say is God is good! I was able to sleep last night after praying and this morning I managed even not to feel ill as I trusted in him. Although I lost my appetite I managed to shove a slice of toast down and I made it to uni to collect my results. As my head of year handed me the paper he said 'this year's results are a mixed bag, but I managed to get a 2:1'. Allelujia! I'm so happy, its wonderful, I can relax...the sigh of relief I exhaled was indescribable.

As I patiently waited for my classmates to get their results I informed my family. My Dad, who is in Nigeria on holiday went about informing all the family back home. I received texts and calls of congratulations.

I went for lunch, then coffee, then supper then cocktails and finally to a Jazz bar where a few ciders ensued. All with the great company of a few dear classmates.

I walked around the city centre, taking in the sights with new eyes...the eyes of a graduate!!! Amazing, this was my city, I've had good times here, bad times, but most of all I've learnt about myself, I've gained knowledge of my degree and I have an overwhelming sense of achievement. I feel almost invincible but I am not too full of pride, I know I could have done nothing without faith in God, I would have been overwhelmed by my circumstances, sucumbed to defeat and listened to all those discouraging voices that tried to knock me down.

I've made great friends, awesome connections and I can tell you doing a chemical engineering degree will give you wrinkles, cause you to have more than a couple of pulling your hair out/crying moments but at the end of the day, the mind you're left with is special, and well worth it. Your outlook on life and thought-processes/way of thinking is forever changed for the better. This valuable skill will help in any job or career engineering or otherwise.

A big congratulations to all those graduating this year everywhere and good luck to those still awaiting results. Whatever happens, the most important thing is what you've learnt from the experience about yourself as a person.

Love from Fi xx

Twilight Zone

So I have finished exams but I'm waiting for my results. I've secured a graduate job so I shouldn't be nervous right? The hard work is over...but I am feeling anxious. All the years of preparation leading up to one day. Family members and friends are all telling me 'well done' as if the degree certificate is already hanging on my wall! All I can do is trust in God and hope for the best. I am returning to University tomorrow after a few days at home recuperating. I've also visited friends in London, taken a trip to Scotland and been to Manchester in the past 2 weeks all filling up the twilight time...

As I am getting ready for my last few days at my university I have been feeling quite nostalgic. I look at things and think 'when will I see this again?'. Don't get me wrong, I am ready to leave and move on but that means admitting to being a grown up, an adult, with adult responsibilities. Working the 9-5, paying bills, being the 'youngest in the office', and hearing things like 'you're so young, I wish I was your age again'. Well guess what? Being young isn't all it's cracked up to be. Lack of life experience often leaves me questioning my decisions, but one can't spend forever debating all the options carefully before you make a choice, as they say: 'time waits for no man'. On the other hand, having a 'YOLO' attitude (I detest that phrase!) isn't good either. Diving headfirst into things can often leave one thinking I should have taken the time to put on some safety gear in the form of knowledge/research.

Anyway before this ends up dragging on I just want to wish all those waiting for a big result good luck and God bless! Let me know what you are waiting for in the comments and how you deal with waiting?

Fi xx