like it was a personal failure. The reality is though, no one gets into a creative field because it’s easy, and uni is not the end of the struggle, but it’s still a struggle worth doing.
Don’t stay in touch with people purely for networking purposes. Not only will they probably be of no use to your career you will quickly realise your only bond was stress-eating snacks next to each other in the studio.
I got a degree in illustration and then didn’t pick up a pencil for six months. University burns you out and you’re not a failure if you want to have other experiences for a while. Your passion will still be where you left it when you come back around to it in your own time.