You’ve handed in your last assignment. You’ve paid off any debts you owe to the university. Once the grades are in, you’ve officially left your university career behind you. So, what comes next? What answers can you give the kindly-yet-annoyingly-persistent questions of your closest friends and family?

Graduate Programs

The most obvious choice seems like the graduate program, designed for the freshly minted degree holder. Government departments around the state and the country run these programs, and their closing dates vary depending on which you want to apply for. Start looking early—some close as early as April or May the year before. Some companies, such as banks, also run graduate programs. Take this opportunity to shake it up; move to another state, perhaps?

Travel

One of the best things about finishing university is the freedom it affords you. If you headed into your degree program straight from school, you may have been studying for 15-20 years without a real break. Take a gap year. Travel the world while you’re still young, and all those other clichés. Get a job in a foreign country, learn a new language, explore.

Get another qualification

Not sick of university yet? There are multitudes of other qualifications you can receive. This could be furthering your current study (Honours, masters or doctorate level study), or starting again in a new field (like teaching). If you need a change, you could always move to a different state, or even another country, to pursue your studies. Be prepared, and check out application closing dates as soon as possible. If you’re looking at a different country, their university terms may be quite different to Australia.