At the risk of sounding preachy, I wanted to offer my 2 cents to everyone feeling discouraged this app cycle. As a recent STEM graduate in my first application cycle, coming into this process as a bit of an outsider, I honestly had no idea how demanding vacation scheme applications would be.
The amount of research, preparation, reworking answers, and staying motivated through uncertainty is far more than most application processes.
But the reason I’m posting is because I’ve seen quite a few recent threads from people saying they’re thinking about giving up.
If that’s you, I just want to say that what you’re doing is genuinely INCREDIBLY hard — and the fact you’ve made it this far already says a lot about your resilience and determination.
This process is tough for everyone, even if it sometimes feels like you’re the only one finding it that way.
Progress here often looks like persistence rather than quick success. Every application, every piece of feedback, every interview is building experience that will count.
So if you’re feeling discouraged, take a breather if you need to — but don’t underestimate how much progress you’re making just by sticking with it. Everyone here is exceptional and it's only a matter of time before that TC comes through!
Massive well done to everyone who’s still showing up and putting the work in. You’re doing better than you probably think.
I have been applying since I was in 2nd year uni so it’s been a few cycles and it is something I really want but it’s starting to weigh a lot on me mentally, especially this time round. I don’t think another try will be good for me but thank you for your kind words!
