Leaving university with Smruti Hiremath

A GRADUATE’S VIEW Leaving university doesn’t mean the end of learning!

A er wrapping up three great years doing Maths at the University of Exeter and starting to work for a FinTech startup, Smruti Hiremath discusses life a er university, finding work and money tips that she has learned through the transition from student-hood to the ‘real world’.

I found the true learning curve came when entering the real world as an adult, I’m learning so much about myself and about how things work.

With basically no responsibilities in a world ‘that is my oyster’, I’ve found there are lots of opportunities to learn. Whether this means working extra hours to pick up more cross-business tasks at work or spending spare time reading around interesting subjects, throwing myself into keeping busy seems like the best use of my twenties. I’m almost certain the best part of life a er university is the exploring, so I’m enjoying making the most of it.

I am grateful to the many people who were so willing to share their experiences. This was particularly useful when thinking about a career and finding work. Turns out the best thing to do is talk to someone. The hardest part about getting this help is the actual ‘asking’ bit, reaching out to a recent alumni from the same university or a senior in the industry feels really unnatural. However, I found if there’s someone I want to know more about, a nice message or email never hurts. Worst case, they don’t reply. Or they do reply, we have a great conversation, I learn loads about the industry, get advice about next steps and maybe even make a new friend. This even helps with job applications as roles I was more proactive and passionate about were the ones I got.

Sometimes, it feels like they’ve been so helpful that I’ll never be able to repay them, usually I can’t and that’s okay. The only thing I can do is pass it on. It is also nice to chat to younger students going through the things I just went through. A er all, meeting so many new people both professionally and personally was the best part of university, I’m glad it continues a er too.

People don’t tend to talk about the taboo topic of personal finances but we should change that.

The two best things I have learned are

1. spend using the 80:20 rule

2. start putting money to work early

The rule of saving at least 20% every month means I always have a buffer and something to start investing with. It is also so important to start investing in the market when we’re young because even small amounts early on can make a difference in the long term, thanks to compounding - we’ll thank ourselves later.

“The rule of saving at least 20% every month means I always have a buffer and something to start investing with.”