{"id":1182,"date":"2026-05-13T11:53:42","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T10:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/be-well\/?p=1182"},"modified":"2026-05-13T11:53:42","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T10:53:42","slug":"the-pressure-to-have-it-all-figured-out-and-why-you-dont-need-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/be-well\/2026\/05\/13\/the-pressure-to-have-it-all-figured-out-and-why-you-dont-need-to\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pressure to Have It All Figured Out (and Why You Don\u2019t Need To)"},"content":{"rendered":"

May is often a busy and intense time at University. <\/em>Across the various stages of study, the pressure to have everything figured out can feel heavy. In this piece, postgraduate student Lola* offers a gentle reminder that it\u2019s okay not to have all the answers and or know what you're going to do next...<\/em><\/p>\n

University can sometimes feel like a race you didn\u2019t realise you signed up for.\u00a0At some point, the conversations start to shift. People begin talking about graduate schemes, internships, return offers, five-year plans\u2026 and suddenly it feels like everyone has their life mapped out, except you.<\/p>\n

As an international master\u2019s student, that pressure can feel even heavier.\u00a0There\u2019s the expectation to succeed academically, secure a graduate job, and make the most of your time here in the UK all within a very short space of time. Add in a competitive environment and constant comparison, and it can start to feel overwhelming. I\u2019ve definitely felt that pressure especially on a time limited visa.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s this unspoken idea that by the end of your degree, you should have everything figured out: what you\u2019re doing next, where you\u2019re going, who you\u2019re becoming. And if you don\u2019t, it can feel like you\u2019re falling behind.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll be honest: I don\u2019t have a graduate job lined up yet (I know).\u00a0And for a while, that really bothered me.\u00a0It made me question whether I was doing enough, whether I was \u201con track\u201d, and even, at times, whether I was somehow behind everyone else.\u00a0But over time, I\u2019ve had to challenge that thinking.<\/p>\n

What I\u2019ve started to realise is that most people are figuring things out as they go, even the ones who seem like they have it all together.\u00a0Growth doesn\u2019t always look like having a perfect plan. Sometimes it looks like trying things, changing direction, facing uncertainty, and learning along the way.\u00a0And that\u2019s not failure, that\u2019s part of the process.<\/p>\n

For me, a big shift has been understanding that my identity is not defined by my degree or whether I have a job secured.\u00a0It\u2019s easy to tie your worth to achievements, especially in a high-performing environment, but I\u2019ve had to remind myself that my value doesn\u2019t come from a job title or an offer.<\/p>\n

As someone with faith, I find peace in trusting that God has a plan for my life, even when I can\u2019t see it clearly yet. That doesn\u2019t mean I stop working hard or applying for opportunities, but it does mean I don\u2019t let uncertainty define me or diminish my sense of worth.\u00a0Instead of focusing on having everything perfectly figured out, I\u2019ve started focusing on growth.<\/p>\n