I have a friend, whom we shall call Sasquatch, for that is his name! Now I have known Sasquatch for a while now, since university - we were both keen geographers. Well... I was a keen geographer and he just, sort of, well uhm... OK well he was that friend who just cruised his way through university while just chillout out, only mildly getting stressed every now and again when deadlines were 2 hours away. Everybody has one of those friends.
I learnt a lot from Sasquatch. Mostly the value of relaxing my work ethic (which actually did wonders for my grades). As our fellow physical geography friends slaved over hard facts and figures, we sat back and took a more liberal approach. I'm pretty sure he learnt a lot from me as well. Like the importance of actually getting up for lectures. Or that, however philosophical one gets late at night in a smoky room, taking a whole module on Nietzsche is rarely a good idea unless you are actually undertaking a degree in philosophy. (Actually he learnt that by himself, but it still makes me laugh).
But I reckon Sasquatch is onto a good way of life there. He's been patient. He's worked hard but he hasn't got himself stressed. He's honed his skills and padded out his contact book. And now he's landed himself a job doing what he loves most. Gaming. (Sasquatch is no environmentalist. He belongs in a world of gaming and designing levels and technical stuff which goes completely over my head). So on behalf of all graduates out there, employed or unemployed, I applaud him. Sasquatch is getting paid to do what he wants to do. I really hope I can do the same.
I simply don't want to end up in a 9-5 job for which I have no passion. Why bother at all then? I'd be happier working in a bar where the atmosphere is buzzing... Some people have said to me that I should keep my options open and apply to anything and everything from Barclays to Tescos. I agree that I should keep my options open - it's slim pickin's out there and I'm not one to be fussy... at least in terms of where I end up in the environmental sector. From a highly-paid environmental consultant to a more modest employee for an environmental charity, I'll take whatever is coming. But I have not invested nearly £10 000 on a Masters just to end up being an accountant! It's not that being an accountant is a terrible job (I could definitely do with the pay check), it's just that some people seem to think I chose to do this Masters for the letters behind my name or for the 'transferable skills' I am learning. I'm doing this Masters because it means I can become an expert in something that I am really enthusiastic about... how people fit in and connect with their environments. Why would I want to waste all this knowledge that I have, and all these brilliant ideas that I get, just to sit behind a desk doing the daily routine.
So here's to Sasquatch... who is doing what he does best. That sounds very exciting to me.
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