It has been a while — 5 years — since I went out of my job and back to university

I set out on a journey — and I'm almost there — A Recap

Beate Öttl
4 min readJul 17, 2022

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About five years ago, I decided to quit my full-time job as a graphic designer to complete a bachelor's degree. (And possibly also a master's degree). I cannot believe that I am now close to reaching that goal. And I am having mixed emotions about it.

I cannot wait to be done, but I know I will miss this time.

I worked hard, gave my best, and met many exceptional people along the way. I learned so much these past five years, and I am thankful to everyone who supported me and cheered on me throughout these years.

I also wrote a post about how multiple professions can help your career.

I aimed to get out of my comfort zone and grow personally and professionally — which I think I did. I learned a lot about myself, as well.

While I spent the first year of my bachelor's on educational leave, I had to work from the second year onward. Educational leave was a real blessing, and I discovered my love for hiking (Probably because I finally had the time for it).

I love hiking. Even before sunrise, sometimes.

I finished my bachelor's degree in 2020, right after the first COVID lockdown. In autumn, my sister hosted a special graduation event for me, because the big graduation ceremony got canceled due to Covid. Such a shame.

COVID also affected my master's degree in Content Strategy at FH JOANNEUM, which took place mostly online. It was still so much fun to see everyone in Graz from time to time. To be honest, online learning got a little tedious after two years.

I had a lovely time in Graz whenever I was there.

Right now, I am working on the final parts of my master thesis, and I am experiencing severe mood swings from day to day. Frustration, Joy…just to name a few. But it will all work out in the end, I am sure.

I also found new inspirations for my career through my studies. My bachelor's and master's degrees pointed me in the direction of UX design, which I have been pursuing for over a year. I have discovered my passion for writing this blog, productivity, and building healthy routines. All things I never thought about before. I improved my English as well. (Since the study program is in English)

Here is the outlook

I have written what feels like countless reflection posts, and now I cannot wait to concentrate on the topics of productivity, inspiration, and personal growth.

In my bachelor's and my master's degree, I had two vastly different experiences. Studying online vs studying in presence, studying full-time vs. studying part-time. I am happy that I had all these experiences and would recommend it to anyone considering studying.

If you are interested in something and can find a way to afford it, go for it. All those doubts I had before I made the decision— not one of them came true. It doesn't even have to be studying — whatever you plan on doing, I'd say…

Go for it!

…even if it's scary.

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Beate Öttl

UX-Designer & Content Strategist passionate about productivity & personal growth. Empowering Creatives to unfold their full potential 👍✨