I have started to look into subject research to have more of an understanding before I start looking more into visuals. I think it is important to understand the topic so I can be clear in the message I am trying to portray. I will start by looking into articles and text that support my ideas. From these articles I can find information that I can come back and look into more detail in the future.
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/worklife/campus/a22575047/post-university-depression/
This is an article I first came across when looking into the subject of the struggles of being in your 20’s. I have experienced relatives and friends leaving university and finding it challenging so it is interesting that this is a common thing among graduates. In the article, Mollie Davies talks about her experience. She says, “it very quickly went from being celebrated and recognised [for my achievements], to being thrown into a large pot of pressures. I traded the student union, lectures, and a big circle of friends in for something far more daunting: adulthood and the unknown.”
Leaving university is hard, as you have been in education for so many years where things are structured. It can then be difficult to self motivate yourself to get a job or start a career. Mollie also says that she was ‘lonelier than ever’. As another shock can be living with your mates to having to move back in with parents.
Why Navigating Your 20s Is Hard
This article talks more about a similar topic. It says about how to over come this ‘in between’ stage of life. What I think is important is when it says how this is a struggle that is experienced by many people. ‘If you are struggling with your sense of life’s purpose, know that you are not the only one.’ It must be horrible to feel like you are the only one not succeeding straight away. This a point I want to make clear in my work, that you do not have to come out of university and straight into a career to be considered successful.
This article is not just aimed at graduates but people in their 20’s in general. It says how you might be cut off financially, so this is the first time you have to support yourself financially. Living situations can also be difficult. Some people move to a different city to pursue a career and it can be scary to be on your own. But on the other hand living with parents where there are still rules can be frustrating.
‘And because there’s no manual or guide to how to get through your twenties, a lot of us are honestly just faking it until we make it.‘
‘Your twenties are hard. We forget to say this sometimes. We forget to reassure each other that it’s okay to be struggling. We aren’t reassured that it’s okay to feel overwhelmed, and that it’s completely normal to feel lost, especially when you are trying to figure out so many things.’
These quotes are so important to my project. The overall message being that its okay not to be okay.
Lucy Davis 