2 Things I Would Do Differently If I Started My Degree Apprenticeship Again.

Recently graduating has made me reflect on my time as a Degree Apprentice, asking myself, ‘What would I do differently if I were to start again?’

I really enjoyed my time in this programme, but there are some things I wish I had the chance to do differently.

If I were starting my apprenticeship over, or even still in the programme, I would do these two things…

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The best thing about the apprenticeship is the people you meet, not the degree, so meet as many as you can.

The most valuable thing from the program is not the degree, it’s the people you meet.

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Yes, the degree is great, you learn a lot and it will open some doors for you when you leave, but in my experience, the people I met are of greater value. I’ve made some friends for life, know people starting their own companies, and connected with people at companies such as Lloyds, Barclays, IBM, AstraZeneca—the list goes on.

Your network is a huge tool and something you should definitely work on; people in this programme can only add value to your life. Trust me, the guys I met are great.

I would sum this point up by saying ‘be a Hamzah’. Hamzah is a friend of mine, and although I came away with many new people in my network, Hamzah will have ten times mine. The reason? When he walks into a room, he makes the effort to speak with as many people as possible, all adding value to his life.

Speak to as many people as possible; that person could help you in your studies, land you your next job, or become a new friend.

Be a Hamzah.

Don’t sacrifice your life for your work, find and keep balance.

With a full-time job and a degree, it’s easy to dedicate more time to work, but that means something else is suffering.

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Being a Degree Apprentice is not easy; you’re juggling a full-time job and a degree—that’s a lot of work to get through. But surely dedicating your weekends and evenings to completing your work is a good thing, right? Being dedicated is great and it will get you higher grades for sure, but remember that something else once filled that time.

This is something I learnt far too late, dedicating too much of my spare time to my assignments. I let areas of my life slip massively, especially in the months leading up to assignment deadlines. In these months, I would block out every bit of spare time I had for assignments and would tell my friends and family, “I’m off grid, don’t contact me”.

Work, uni, family, friends, romantic relationships, hobbies, physical health, mental health, sleep, and many, many more are all parts of your life and need attention. Grades are not the be-all and end-all.