53
Staffordshire University Criminology Graduate
Numerous students felt unprepared for the world outside of university and felt that , whilst they had gained academic skills from their course , they lacked the practical experience and skills needed for many professions . Results corresponded with ideas discussed in the literature from larger-scale studies , such as that pressure to succeed and post-graduation plans were among three of the top concerns affecting graduates . 105 Participants felt that their universities could have supported them more in regard to gaining work experience , planning for the future and support gaining employment :
' I don ’ t feel like universities prepare us for the outside world so maybe there could be more support in terms of planning for the future . This could include careers advice , career fairs , more professional networking events , etc .'
Staffordshire University Sociology Graduate
' I didn ’ t expect to still be in a job I saw as temporary almost 10 months later . I feel as though I have gained a first-class university degree to just return to my college job , a job that I don ’ t need qualifications for and a job that I am not benefitting from in terms of gaining relevant work experience .'
Staffordshire University Psychology and Criminology Graduate
Participants felt that universities needed to be more transparent about the realities of life after graduation . Some participants stated that the content universities share on their social media pages , such as alumni success stories , can make graduates feel worse about themselves if they have not achieved similar success . Participants felt that universities needed to show the realities of life after graduation and share stories from graduates who took longer to secure their ideal position and how they got to that point :
105
Beiter et al , ' The prevalence and correlates of depression , anxiety , and stress in a sample of college students ', 90 .