So my results for my third year are out. As usual, they aren’t to my expectations. Actually, they were never to my expectations. This only goes to show that University of London is very unpredictable. Either that, or my expectations for my own results just generally suck. Haha. Anyhow, good thing is I passed every single subject.

This means that I graduated from University of London International Programmes with a Second Class Uppers.

The fact that I graduated means a lot of me. It means that I have finished a hard race. Reached the finish line. It means that I survived and thrived in this course. Yes, I did it. I actually did it. We did it. We graduated! Our hard work paid off. A job well done!

Honestly, maybe this matters more to me because in my family, I am the first to graduate with an undergraduate degree. It feels like there is progress. It feels possible to achieve the life of our dreams.

These three years have been amazing actually. Being in university and studying have been a great learning experience. I have learnt and grown so much in these three years. Even managed to get over some personal issues such as a huge dislike for maths. I am very thankful and humbled to be able to graduate. I know this is a privilege and it’s one I will cherish. I also managed to meet coursemates who are completely awesome. Together, we worked harder and did our best to achieve our goals. It’s always nice to always be in a race with a friend rather than alone.

For me, being in University has taught me more than just knowledge. It has given me the tools to be able to solve problems. It has taught me endurance. It has taught me to manage my time and resources. It has taught to think even more critically and to use models that would not have been available to me, had I not taken this course. Just like sandpaper, the University has polished me, making me into a better looking diamond. But of course, I am still a work in progress. Just because I graduated doesn’t mean that I’m polished completely and perfect.

Hence, I want to take the time to thank my university. Thank you for the opportunities. Thank you for doing so much for me. Thank you for helping me be a better person. Thank you for allowing me to have an education.

Personally, do I wish that I got First Class? Absolutely. But the great thing about this course is that it taught me that I’m the best no matter what happens as long as I learnt. So heads up. Walk with confidence. I did my best and that’s all that matters. So yes, no matter what happens, the only thing that really matters is that you did your best.

I heard that there was a graduation ceremony in London. Of course, I would love to go with my family. However, I probably wouldn’t be able to afford it for now.

Now that a journey has come to an end, a new journey will start. Such is life.

As for jobs, I do have a job. I managed to get a job before I graduated. In fact, I been working for a month already.

Even though I have a job, I am still considering on whether I should look for other jobs. Career wise, I would like to try out Management Consulting because I realise that I enjoy learning and trying to solve problems. Hence Management Consulting sounds like something that I can do as it will allow me to look at a problem and do my best to solve it.

I am also still unsure on whether I want to further my studies or gain professional qualifications. Yes, there is still so much uncertainty as there are so many decisions to make. But for now, I will celebrate first and then think hard on what step to make.

To everyone who has graduated, CONGRATULATIONS! YOU DID IT! YOU ACTUALLY DID. So enjoy that wonderful victory! And oh, good luck to our future. May we never settle. May we continue to strive for the best. May we continue to grow and learn.

And to those who haven’t, I hope your results is to your liking. And if it isn’t, it’s alright. There’s always the upcoming academic year. All the best!!

Carmen has just completed the BSc Economics and Management. She studied with support from HELP College of Arts and Technology in Malaysia.