Degrees, Decisions and Dreams.

Chai, di presha is getting worsa.

And worsa, and worsa.

And worsa.🧍🏿‍♀️

Ask me if I can even breathe right now (I very much can, and I’m fine. Hallelujah).

Hey loves!

It’s basically March, meaning Easter is coming, and then it’s May, so exams, then uni ends, summer arrives and then bam.

Uni is done. Where the heck has time gone???

Uni is uniying harder than ever; no time for playing about o. Deadlines are creeping up, and tasks/duties are being hurled at me left, right, and centre. Dissertation is underway.

I’m in my third year, and this academic year so far is really something. It’s relentless.

Birthdays here, family functions there, “Let’s go out to eat at this place”, office hours to attend, meetings with my personal tutor, coffee catchups with my mentor, study dates, Pilates, fitness or pole dancing class - shall I keep going? I have friends I haven't linked up with since the beginning of 2024.

My golly gosh.

Don’t get me wrong - I love being busy (sometimes). I thrive on feeling like a woman on a mission, hopping from one thing to the next. It gives me that I’m-that-girl level of productivity. But hey, I better soak it all in while I can because graduation is creeping up fast.

Wow.

These three years went by rapidly. I don’t know if to scream, cry, or slide down a wall. Shall I jump with joy, perhaps?

What’s the next step? What's my next step?

My answer is, it’s in His hands. I can only speak for myself, as everyone’s calling is different. Some of you may relate, some of you may not. If you do, we're in this together. Those who've already secured a grad job, must be niceee, congratulations. I'm still navigating my journey, but I can’t wait to reach my destination.

At one point, I was thinking, do these destinations even want me there? (Because let’s be real, these firms move like they’re holding job roles hostage. Are they even hiring or just collecting applications for vibes?) Short answer: Yes, they do want me, and I will reach them IJN! It’s about self-belief and moving with motion.

Let’s rewind to post-sixth form, right as I was stepping into my first year of uni. Back then, I was certain I’d be doing a law conversion (moving into law after a non-law degree, basically transforming into a full-fledged law student). At the ripe old age of 18, I was brimming with confidence and optimism. Did I actually know anything? Pffft no. But I was out here saying, “Yeah, I’m defo doing law after uni.”

I hadn’t thought too deeply about it because let’s be honest, who has their whole career trajectory mapped out at the start of uni? Like, who is sitting there at 18 knowing exactly what firm, salary, and role they’ll secure straight after graduation? Let’s be for real. At the start of my second year, I began hearing about internships and was greatly intrigued, and I knew I wanted to secure any in either private practice or in house law.

Sigh.

It didn’t work out. Rejections pon rejections. None of these firms wanted me (womp womp).              

I took the rejections personally - so much so that they planted a deep-rooted academic insecurity. I started downplaying my own abilities, convincing myself I wasn’t cut out for law. (Big lie.) Truth is, anyone can break into this field if they put in the work and apply pressure, no matter the setbacks. Trust me, rebuilding that self-belief took time, but once I did? Game changer.

If you’re someone who does the same. Speak positive affirmations to yourself and mean it. You ARE capable.

Not too long after, I started contemplating a gap year after uni. But after a questionable reaction from an old friend, I felt discouraged - like I was obligated to jump into something straight away. (Spoiler: You’re not.) Their reaction was so bad that I regretted telling them and instantly felt guilty for wanting to take a break for myself.

LIKE WHAT???

This experience taught me a valuable lesson: people love handing out unsolicited advice you know. Of course, honesty and genuine guidance are great. But sometimes it's ok to just shut up.

ANYWHO...

I was overwhelmed with uncertainty, feeling under pressure, desperately trying to find my niche. That’s when I actively started attending networking events, connecting with LinkedIn corporates, researching, and soaking up insights. Then it clicked - this whole career ting?

Yeah, it’s not easy. I passively understood that life post-uni is ‘scary’, but trust me, now as a soon-to-be graduate, I GERRITTT! You need to research, look at stuff, study/revise for tests, enhance your CV/portfolio, respond to emails, prepare for interviews and more. The careers consultant at my uni and I are homegirls at this point because of how frequently she sees me.

We literally may as well go out for dinner and drinks together now because that's sis😭(she's helped me through baresss).

Now I know. Boiii, trust me I know. This is serious, there’s zero time for playing games here.

I remember going to a consulting firm’s networking event. Oh man, the food was even seriousssss. Let’s just say I had dinner sorted for the next two days. (Yes, I took food home. A lot, as well. Leave me alone.)  Anyway, after attending that, I was sold - consulting was it. The projects seemed engaging, the work-life balance looked chef’s kiss, the pay? Brilliant. And the benefits? Top-tier. I mean, what wasn’t there to love?

At that particular time, I was feeling the pressure from my traditionalist African parents (if ykyk) - one of them even working in corporate. Through all my research and reflection, consulting felt like the perfect fit. So, what did I do? I deep-dived the internet for every internship I could find, spoke to my homegirl careers advisor, connected with this amazing consultant on LinkedIn and even bonded with another one (as in I had her number and we'd be texting awayyy). My confidence was at an all-time high - I told my parents, “Yep, consulting is the one.”

Long story short, my dad cussed me out and called me confused.🧍🏿‍♀️

Ouch.

My mum was apprehensive but figured it was worth a shot. My dad? Not so much. His disapproval wasn’t about consulting itself - it was about my uncertainty. To be fair, consulting is a massive field with a million different routes to take. I just wasn’t sure  where I wanted to take consulting yet, but I was willing to put in the work to figure it out.

And honestly, why is there so much pressure to have it all figured out immediately? Why does not knowing have to feel like a crime?

CAN WE PLEASE TEK IT EASY??? If you're unsure what you want to do, you are absolutely fine. You will not end up homeless on the streets. You won't be flipping burgers in McDonald's tomorrow. You will be fine.

Back to my story...

So studying a master’s in social and public policy caught my interest, and I quickly realised it was a bit of me. This was the consulting route I wanted to take. In my head, I had it all mapped out: attending my dream uni, diving into this insightful degree, and working my way towards becoming a public policy consultant.

For a moment, I thought, maybe this is it. Maybe I’d finally found my calling.

Wrong.

After a whirlwind of self-encouragement, self-reflection, and some uncomfortable truths, I admitted to myself that my passion for law never truly faded; I was just holding myself back. I’ve since embraced the fact that becoming a solicitor is a career where I can thrive while keeping my writing alive on the side. I hope to eventually write for publications, publishers, and individuals, gaining recognition for my linguistic skills. I was using other career paths to mask the fear that maybe, just maybe, I couldn’t go into law. But I still knew I wanted to go corporate. The thing is, law never really left my mind. It was always there, lingering in the background like an unfinished chapter.

So, was I ever really letting go of the OG career? Or was I just trying to convince myself I had?

Beyond that, I also hold a dream of becoming an author and/or writer. I deeply value the power of storytelling, teaching, and shaping perspectives. Learning isn't just a skill - it's a necessity for survival. This semester, I'm studying a module called ‘Analysing Stories and Identities’ in which we're exploring that on a deeper level. I purposefully picked this as I know it aligns with my curiosity about writing and interpretations.

You see, with your career, you can figure things out as you go. Stay true to your aspirations, be proactive, and keep the faith.

Proactivity and prayers? A power duo.

COMBINATION.

But let’s be real; faith without effort is just wishful thinking. It all comes down to you.

We’re all working with different narratives, plots, characters, and storylines. No two journeys look the same, and that’s the beauty of it. So, trust your process, take the steps, and watch your story unfold exactly as it’s meant to.

You know, being an aspiring corporate babe and creative, I used to let LinkedIn guilt-trip me into thinking I was failing at life just because I wasn’t drowning in Spring Weeks, insight days, networking evenings, and internships. I’d see ‘Hey Network...’ and think that I’m the biggest bum to exist on earth.

But then I had to remind myself - I'm not other people, and other people are not me. So, why was I comparing?

Comparison is the thief of joy, after all.

And let’s be real, these opportunities aren’t some rare, mythical creatures that disappear if you don’t catch them immediately. They’re everywhere. Every firm has them. They’re not about to grow legs and sprint off into the abyss. If you don’t receive something now, you’ll receive something later!

Right now for me, uni and then job applications are my priorities. Even when uni is over, I could keep throwing myself into as many applications and events as I want without the added pressure of deadlines, coursework, and existential academic dread. See, it’s actually fine.

No space for stress, no need for wahala. I've had too much of it with this whole thing. My head is splittin mehnnn.

Another thing I’d like to share is that I’ve switched career plans more times than I can count. My eyes have wandered to audit, finance and even journalism (probably more things but I can't remember off the top of my head). I’ve drilled into my head that what’s meant for me won’t miss me and finally mapped out a game plan. When you really deep it, it’s actually not that bad. It’s all going to be fine. Once you lay out your trajectory and start the climb, you will reach your destination. And when you do? Oh, you’ll be so proud.

I know so many of us go through this, so if you’re currently being hit by a wave of uncertainty, let me hold your hand (virtually, of course) and tell you, it’s ok.

And listen, once I got crystal clear on what I wanted to do, why I wanted to do it, and how? My parents finally got off my back. And let me tell you, life is bliss when you’re not constantly dodging their unsolicited career advice like it’s a live grenade. When you’re dealing with so many external stressors, keeping a level head is essential.

Stay calm. Communicate. Trust the process, keep turning the pages, and let your story unfold in its own time.

You’ve got this.

With love, curiosity (and plenty of encouragement),

Just Jenni