The end of the uni year is nearing and so is the end of your undergrad. Suddenly, it’s like the end of Year 12 all over again and everyone is asking ‘what’s next?’.

You’re finishing off a big chunk of your academic life but you’re still thirsty. Postgrad, here you come.

Here’s why you should do your postgrad at a different university, as told by someone who did just that.

#1 You Will Drop The Uni Patriotism

Don’t pretend it doesn’t exist – we’ve all trolled through Facebook comments on our uni’s pages and read all the competitive remarks and put-downs.

It’s natural to feel patriotic to your university. It’s where you go every day. Not to mention, you want your uni to have a good reputation because that means that you will have graduated from a reputable university that looks killer on a CV.

But every uni has a different teaching model and the one you’re currently learning under may not be right for you. In reality, uni patriotism could be holding you back. Try another way of learning and meet new teachers. When it comes down to it, it’s not where you get your degree but how skilfully you use it.

#2 You Will Become A Whole New Person

New uni, new you. It’ll come as no surprise that a change of scenery will unlock new parts of your personality.

You might come to a new class and realise how smart you actually are by how much input you can give to discussions. Or you might feel a bit embarrassed but excited to learn from everyone else and really push yourself.

Whatever it is it’ll surprise you and help you grow as a person. Changing unis and leaving everyone you know behind (for a couple of hours a week, calm down) can be scary but it’s just like after Year 12. Push yourself, break your social boundaries and have a fresh start.

#3 You Will Make So Many New Friends

It’s nerve wracking getting over the fear of speaking up in class and asking someone for coffee after a tutorial. But somehow you did it and now you have a solid group of uni friends. So what? You’re supposed to start the whole process all over again?!

Well, yes. You can never have too many friends and meeting new people will feel exciting again. You’re in classes with people who share your passion and goals and you’re old enough now to be able to make light conversation much easier than four years ago. Expand those social circles!

#4 You Will Network So Much More

Not only will you make more friends but you will form more serious connections. This is your postgrad. This is the next step in your career and you’re about to meet so many more people in the same field.

This is the time to put those social skills to use and network. Soak up any new opportunity and pick the brain of every new person you meet. You never know who’s going to come in handy later down the track.

#5 You Might Change Your Path

Starting at a new uni might bring a very different perspective on the career you thought was your dream.

You could see this future from the lens of another institution and realise it’s not for you. On the other hand, you might find a passion you didn’t know was an option for you.

Either way, the world is your oyster. But you should try the oysters another uni offers, they are delicious.

Iryna is a creative woman living it up in Melbourne. She is studying her Masters of Writing and Publishing at RMIT. When she’s not smoothing out her internal overreactions with tea, you can find her passionately discussing pop culture.

(Lead image: House Bunny/Columbia)