Life After University

[N.Wood]

Ok, so I'm a month or so through my first year at uni.

This has given me alot to think about, what with the completely different lifestyle of looking after yourself/your money/surroundings/organising yourself etc.

I've learnt way too many basic life skills to list so far, but the idea of having to earn money to pay for the things i have at the moment (rather than having a nice loan in my account), finding a home, a partner, a job, and all the other things is rather daunting.

So far I feel i've coped well (better than i thought i would!) with the domestic side of life and the life change from home, but its still pretty much sorted out for me.

I've been thinking alot about where i want to live in the future, what job I'll get, how i'll afford stuff, how i'll cope on my own etc.

Anyone else thinking the same things? How did you guys who are older (Steve Heatsink/Tart/Poopipe etc) cope and what did you do to get where you are now?

In an odd way i feel like i want uni to be over, i want my degree and want to start life 'properly'. For soem reason it feels like I'm in a waiting room waiting for adult life to come along.

I enjoy student life and am very happy, but its an odd feeling.

Anyways, if you read all that, nice work, just needed to write down my thoughts/feelings on the subject

Ta all, Nick.

[munkee]

Yea ive had a shit load of stuff to think about.. im in my 3rd year and my first year in a house which i own. Thing is i got moved up on to masters so i have an extra year now. All my friends are on batchelors so finish this year. Literally i know 2 guys on my course when they leave and also my housemates will both be leaving. Meaning a year alone pretty much.

Its given me time to realise im f**king off out of this country and moving to america, start new and know i will always have a job since the place is so damn huge. Ah well.. i was gonna type a huge post but i sorta ended up depressed... blah

[plainlazy84]

I've been thinking of posting something very similar to this for a few days now! I've just started my final year so come June next year I'll be thrown into the big bad world after 10 years (since High school) of study. Whilst I should be enjoying the time I have left being a lazy tax dodger I cant help but worry sometimes about what it's going to be like when it's all over. I'm mainly worried that I won't be able to find a good job and that my three years at uni (and £9,000 debt) would have been a complete waste of time and money. But then I'm also worried that if I do get a descent job I'll end up working crazy hours, have no free time, get stupidly stressed and probably end up a manic depressive

When I was younger I was so damn laid back about everything, but the last few years I have started thinking and worrying far too much and it's bloody annoying. I think its the fear of responsibility coming around the corner. Anyway must stop rambling.....

Yeah can we please have some views from those that have graduated? Hows life been since leaving uni? Do you miss it ?

[Fixed Pants™]

But then I'm also worried that if I do get a descent job I'll end up working crazy hours, have no free time, get stupidly stressed and probably end up a manic depressive

Thats what i'm worried about aswell, i'm only 15 at the moment and dont think ill be going uni, i'm just scared of work, hard to explain really, but i don't want to be in an office job working 9 till 5, i think id be happy with a practical job such as carpentry engineering mechanices etc... because i love making things, i just hope im not gonna be workign shite hours getting shite pay and having no spare time.

[PaRtZ]

im 18 now, I took a gap year to save some moneyage for the whole fiasco. So far its not working, but thats a different story: hopefully I won't be working in Blacks outdoor shop for the rest of my life.

my eldest brother will be finishing Uni this year and this is what I imagine will happen: He'll come back to live at home for a bit to sort of get over the shock hes not in education anymore. Then with his degree in civil engineering, he'll walk to the nearest civil engineer, get a job and start working. Then after a bit he'll decide he'll want to move out and get his own flat which is great for me cos i cant wait to see the back of him

Then once you're sorted its all uphill; you've got no hassles and your own life set up, surely that will be immensly gratifying?

[munkee]

im 18 now, I took a gap year to save some moneyage for the whole fiasco. So far its not working, but thats a different story: hopefully I won't be working in Blacks outdoor shop for the rest of my life.

my eldest brother will be finishing Uni this year and this is what I imagine will happen: He'll come back to live at home for a bit to sort of get over the shock hes not in education anymore. Then with his degree in civil engineering, he'll walk to the nearest civil engineer, get a job and start working. Then after a bit he'll decide he'll want to move out and get his own flat which is great for me cos i cant wait to see the back of him

Then once you're sorted its all uphill; you've got no hassles and your own life set up, surely that will be immensly gratifying?

Ive found the older i get, especially since owning my house, nothing ever goes right. Literally.. you buy something it f**ks up, you do something it f**ks up.. everything f**ks up. Id say 1 in 10 things go right for me. You also realise that you cant rely on anyone.. everyone is useless unless they get something out of it.

[OD404]

I graduated this year from uni and so far things have been a bit stressfull but to be honest I think it should be expected. A lot of people leave uni with masses of debt and with no job lined up and in many cases not even an idea of what they wish to do with their life. It's by no means an easy time for a lot of people.

In my particular case, I managed to sort out a job during my final year and I recommend this to everyone. If you know what you are looking to be doing, don't hesitate to get out there and look, many of the big companies also begin recruiting for graduates at the same time and although this gives you the hassle of going for interviews and assessment centres when you really should be working, I think in the end it has paid off.

Having secured a job around easter time, I could settle down to the uni work without much of the worry about how my life would pan out post degree. Nevertheless, when I did finish, I had a rather large overdraft to contend with...

Though I intended to just have the summer to myself, just dossing around, the lack of money meant I spent most of it working with my dad (good money but very long hours). This helped me recoup some of the debt I had amassed.

So far so good, I thought I had everything under control....

...but to be honest I hadn't

The last few months while I have been working have been very stressful as not only have I been settling into a new job but I have been trying to build a new home, a hard thing to do when you have no furniture, so I don't really feel like I belong there yet.

All this may sound like my life has taken a turn for the worst having left the relative safety of uni and parental funding, but looking at the way things are, I wouldn't have it any other way. My job is great and I'm loving it and although many of the rooms in my house are looking a bit sparse, they are slowly filling up and I will soon have a really nice house in which to live. I'm still in debt (getting a house, even when renting like I am right now, is and expensive business at first with initial bills, tv licenses etc), but if uni has taught me anything its how to manage my cash and it won't be long before I can start saving money.

If there is any point to what I've just said, it's that yes the first 6months after uni can be a very stressfull time for us, but if you are sensible and use the lifeskills you gained at uni, things will turn out well

[Extreme_biker0]

Ive found the older i get, especially since owning my house, nothing ever goes right. Literally.. you buy something it f**ks up, you do something it f**ks up.. everything f**ks up. Id say 1 in 10 things go right for me. You also realise that you cant rely on anyone.. everyone is useless unless they get something out of it.

Tis the truth, unfortunately.

But with one big exception, IMO, and that is friends. I've got loads of friends, but my closest couple of friends are well educated like-minded people who I can rely on. I do stuff for them (one of them owns a bouncy castle business, I do his accounts) and they do stuff for me (esp the one who's a pilot, can't wait till he gets his full licence!).

As well as the importance of close friends out of work though, it's good to have friends in work. So many people get promoted etc for being friends with other people, esp in my line of work, and i'm pretty sure its the same elsewhere. You may get employed in 10 years time by a person you met in your first job for example.

Overall though the job thing is easy, although you'll quickly realise just how much you actually owe, in work terms. Most people I know owe approximately a full years full time work. So if they worked for a full year and didn't spend a penny, they'd be done, but as it turns out, you need most of your salary just to get by!

Finding a girl who you really like and want to spend a long time with is difficult, but I don't worry about that for now, still young yet

My 2p

Edit:

...I'm still in debt (getting a house, even when renting like I am right now, is and expensive business at first...

What made you decide to rent rather than take on a mortgage, out of interest? I would consider renting money down the drain as you're not paying anything off. Obviously you have your reasons, what are they?

Edited October 28, 2006 by Extreme_biker0

[OD404]

I'm vary wary of taking out a mortgage at this stage in my life, where I have no money for a deposit. I know of a few people who have gone this route straight out of uni, and while some have managed, others have got into real trouble.

I agree that it is money down the drain, but for the time being I think it is a wiser option, until I have a good handle on my finances and am sure I can afford the repayments.

Also, I can afford a nicer house through renting now that I could if I took out a mortgage and if I'm going to buy a house, I want something I can live in for a long time. There is also the possibility of myself and my girlfriend getting a joint mortgage in the not so distant future which would allow us to get a better place.

Definately though I don't intend renting for too long, my current lease is for one year, after that, depending on my finances I may look at buying a place, but its a big decision and I won't rush into it.

[Danny]

I finished my final year of uni in July and have since graduated at since i have don't absolutely nothing I'm currently doing a crummy part time job to pay the bills but that's it. I really don't have the motivation at the moment to go out and look for a proper full time job. I think after 3 years of uni you deserve to have a bit of time off Though the plan is to start looking for something permanent pretty soon or maybe in the new year.

[Joe Papasnap Maher]

I finished my final year of uni in July and have since graduated at since i have don't absolutely nothing I'm currently doing a crummy part time job to pay the bills but that's it. I really don't have the motivation at the moment to go out and look for a proper full time job. I think after 3 years of uni you deserve to have a bit of time off Though the plan is to start looking for something permanent pretty soon or maybe in the new year.

OIT! Co-op is not crummy ...its the best u homo

[Walleee]

I feel like since i'vebecome 18 everything has gone really shite with regard to money and such. I earn £80 a week and am expected to pay for dentist bills up to £76, meaning if i go to the dentist one week and need serious work done ill have £4 for the rest of the week. Good one government..

Tax, bastards took £80 off me a while ago for no reason, I still havn't got it back, where has that money gone?

I do want to go to uni, but also am scared of the fees and debt ill leave with.

[Michael Hardman]

I graduated just over a year ago and I applied for several government jobs but didn't get anything so I went on a wonder and did nothing for a while before pulling my finger out my arse and oing to work voluntarly in my mums school. I realy enjoyed it so started to aply for part time teaching assitant jobs but it was always the same, ' great CV and covering letter but not enough experiance.' I joined a few agenicies and eventualy got work in a few schools, then I spent 5 months working with autistic children, that was an expaeriance and ahalf and I'd like to do it again but as the Special Needs Teacher.

So I know I want to teach primary school and I'm busy doing my PGCE at uni, so hopefully tis July I'l be a NQT and be working in a school.

I also learnt to save money at uni, how I don't knowbut I'm wel on my way to getting a foot on the property ladder, give it a year and I'll have my own house as long as I get a job.

Grab everyday at uni like its your last once you leave you'll seriously miss it, I do and maybe if I one day win the lottery I'l quit my job and go back to uni to study.

I feel like since i'vebecome 18 everything has gone really shite with regard to money and such. I earn £80 a week and am expected to pay for dentist bills up to £76, meaning if i go to the dentist one week and need serious work done ill have £4 for the rest of the week. Good one government..

Tax, bastards took £80 off me a while ago for no reason, I still havn't got it back, where has that money gone?

I do want to go to uni, but also am scared of the fees and debt ill leave with.

I found out something intereting when applying for my postgrad course, stundent loans are not like the other type of loan. Interest on them is lower than the interest yuo could earn if you put the money into a savings account. Also in my case the loan I took out has 25 years to be paid back and then the remains disapear for good. So I'm taking full addvantage of tis and taken out every stundent loan possilbe and putting them in a high interest savings account knowing full well I will never pay back more than 1/3 of the loan before it is cancelled.

In the meantime the money I save is going towards my deposit on a house so in the long rn I'm financially better off, than I would be if I didn't take the stundent loans.

Confussing I knowbut I heard it from an experianced accountant and its al written down somewhere so just search.

[Walleee]

I graduated just over a year ago and I applied for several government jobs but didn't get anything so I went on a wonder and did nothing for a while before pulling my finger out my arse and oing to work voluntarly in my mums school. I realy enjoyed it so started to aply for part time teaching assitant jobs but it was always the same, ' great CV and covering letter but not enough experiance.' I joined a few agenicies and eventualy got work in a few schools, then I spent 5 months working with autistic children, that was an expaeriance and ahalf and I'd like to do it again but as the Special Needs Teacher.

So I know I want to teach primary school and I'm busy doing my PGCE at uni, so hopefully tis July I'l be a NQT and be working in a school.

I also learnt to save money at uni, how I don't knowbut I'm wel on my way to getting a foot on the property ladder, give it a year and I'll have my own house as long as I get a job.

Grab everyday at uni like its your last once you leave you'll seriously miss it, I do and maybe if I one day win the lottery I'l quit my job and go back to uni to study.

I found out something intereting when applying for my postgrad course, stundent loans are not like the other type of loan. Interest on them is lower than the interest yuo could earn if you put the money into a savings account. Also in my case the loan I took out has 25 years to be paid back and then the remains disapear for good. So I'm taking full addvantage of tis and taken out every stundent loan possilbe and putting them in a high interest savings account knowing full well I will never pay back more than 1/3 of the loan before it is cancelled.

In the meantime the money I save is going towards my deposit on a house so in the long rn I'm financially better off, than I would be if I didn't take the stundent loans.

Confussing I knowbut I heard it from an experianced accountant and its al written down somewhere so just search.

Yep, I know how that works but i think i'd end up too tempted to spend it! I guess you do have to speculate to accumulate and all, but I really do enjoy my home comforts, food, washing and shopping all done for me, and no bills to worry about or anything.

Having said that i had an absolute hoot of a time while my parents were away for the week, not even partying and such as i've done that before and couldn't be arsed with the clean up, but just managing myself and my time at home between cooking, cleaning and general stuff was just really satisfying.

[tank_rider]

I graduated this summer and like Steve said, getting a job lined up straight away is a real boost. I did a placement year and have gone back to the place where i did that, so was lucky in that i didn't have to apply for jobs and go to interviews etc in the final year. On the house front, I'm currently back at home for a few months as buying a car was a higher priority for me (as i have to commute to work) than finding somewhere to move out too. I set myself a 6 month limit within which i want to move out but i can see that moving out to a year at the present rate.

I've never been that good at managing my money and so far have managed to spend pretty much everything i've earnt. I've got a £2000 overdraft to pay off which i need to do at £100 a month as it reduces year on year. I'm managing to cut that down at the required rate, and have payed out over £2K on a car (buying, insurance etc) and still owe the parents money for that. At the moment i'm still learning how much money i'll have left over at the end of the month and so how much i can afford for rent, so once ive got that sorted (and learned how to cut down my spending) i'll be in a better position to move out. Ideally i'd like to buy and so avoid paying someone elses mortgage for them!! Also living at home means i can get a deposit together whilst paying relatively little rent and so not get caught in the renting loop and not being able to save up for a deposit.

In a years time i see myself in my own place no matter how small it is, at least it's mine and i'll be paying money towards it and not paying for someone else to own the place. Have the same car (with reducing costs due to insurance), and hopefully a chick.

The last one on that list is something thats currently being worked on, although living at home makes that harder etc.

[Extreme_biker0]

...I found out something intereting when applying for my postgrad course, stundent loans are not like the other type of loan. Interest on them is lower than the interest yuo could earn if you put the money into a savings account...

It's a good idea to clear any loans (other than the govornment student loans) as soon as possible because:

- They affect your credit rating so your mortgage offers will be affected. How much they are affected depends on the loan covornance (sp?) so it may not be much but it could be a lot.

- ANY loan, including govornment ones, will add interest to account for the 'time value of money' ala inflation. At the minute, even on an 'interest free' loan, this will be about 3.2%.

Now, if you have that money in a savings account, you could earn interest at 5%. But you have to pay tax on that interest (with the exception of ISA's) at 20%, so you only end up receiving 80%. Eighty percent of five percent is 4%.

This means that, adjusted for inflation, you get richer by 0.8% per year of what you have saved (£8 for every £1,000 saved). I would say that it's not worth it, but inflation does vary.

Don't get me wrong though, it's good to have money in savings accounts, just not offset against loan accounts, since it should be everyones priority to get out of debt.

Compound interest adds up. Just make sure it's in your favor

Edited October 29, 2006 by Extreme_biker0

[Michael Hardman]

It's a good idea to clear any loans (other than the govornment student loans) as soon as possible because:

- They affect your credit rating so your mortgage offers will be affected. How much they are affected depends on the loan covornance (sp?) so it may not be much but it could be a lot.

- ANY loan, including govornment ones, will add interest to account for the 'time value of money' ala inflation. At the minute, even on an 'interest free' loan, this will be about 3.2%.

Now, if you have that money in a savings account, you could earn interest at 5%. But you have to pay tax on that interest (with the exception of ISA's) at 20%, so you only end up receiving 80%. Eighty percent of five percent is 4%.

This means that, adjusted for inflation, you get richer by 0.8% per year of what you have saved (£8 for every £1,000 saved). I would say that it's not worth it, but inflation does vary.

Don't get me wrong though, it's good to have money in savings accounts, just not offset against loan accounts, since it should be everyones priority to get out of debt.

Compound interest adds up. Just make sure it's in your favor

Yep I know I don't make much overall but the idea behind it was to have a nice lump sum of money to use a deposit as without it a 25k job wouldn't be enough for me to get a morgage on a house round here. is way I'll have a house that is mine and have the possibilty of renting it out if it has 2 bedrooms.

I'l be on the propery ladder and as long as I have a job and in teaching I should have I should be fine for the rest of my life.

Thats my plan and I'm pretty good when it comes to money and aving it, dont drink that much, no drugs of fags for me. All I have to do nowis stop buying Snap on tools as there for the furute but its not doing my walet any good.

With the credit rating I should be fine as I only have student loans and as you said they don;t count, I was lucky enough to ave a job troughout uni and then several well paid jobs in the past year. I have no bank overdraft and my credit rating is fine so far. I found out te more you spend on your credit card the higher your rating and thats based on you paying it backon time every month, which is stupid. Yes it shows you can manage your money but so does not having an bank debt and never going into the red since I ad my own account and card form age 16.

Edited October 29, 2006 by Michael Hardman

[tipsy Jock]

Some of you guys are a bit young to be thinking of this! I graduated this year and have just started a permanant contract with a company that i've temped with this summer and last. Its a massive multi national business so there are quite a few prospects.

My plan at the moment is to build up some experience and some money, i'm supposed to be going travelling with my g/f but shes flat broke so i dunno whats happening there. I'm eyeing up some grad schemes at the moment but a 2:2 and abismal A levels are probably going to through a massive spanner in the works. So far RBS and BP are looking very tempting but then so is the Grad scheme for Hewitt Associates (where i'm currently working) as look pretty good.

All of the above probably require 2:1's and decent A levels, so i guess i'll see what happens On the plus side i've not got a loan to pay off and have just cleared my overdraft with this months pay so at least i'm debt free which is good.

Overall post Uni life is a bit dull but i guess its what you make of it, lots of road trips planned so that i can pretend to still be a student. I'm gonna miss the wake up just in time for neighbours lifestyle On the work front i've got to decide wether to aim for grad schemes or to try and work my way up within my current company. Gonna have to decide soon

Pete

[plainlazy84]

I'm gonna miss the wake up just in time for neighbours lifestyle

Noooo it doesn't bare thinking about A bit of neighbours followed by laughing at the riff raff on the Jeremy Kyle show, before switching over when it all gets too much when as per usual Jeremy goes off on one with one of his rants.... twat It will be a sad day when I no longer have the time to watch the constant stream of bilge on morning/ midday tv and countless ads for loans/debt busting. Anyway....

I'm not so worried about the financial aspect of leaving uni (although it will of course be a massive burden), more about the change in lifestyle. During my gap year I worked full time in an office for 6 months, and each summer I have worked for three months full time for a large insurance company doing admin work and to be honest it bored me senseless. Bored to the point of counting the days down to going back to uni (essentially wishing my life away!), having no free time, and just feeling like every day/ week/ month was dragging on. It scares me to think that once Uni is over all I have to look forward to is 45-50 years of this until retirement! I guess it just depends on getting a job that you enjoy, that's challenging and has plenty of variety to keep it relatively interesting. But thats going to be easier said than done.

[tipsy Jock]

Noooo it doesn't bare thinking about A bit of neighbours followed by laughing at the riff raff on the Jeremy Kyle show, before switching over when it all gets too much when as per usual Jeremy goes off on one with one of his rants.... twat It will be a sad day when I no longer have the time to watch the constant stream of bilge on morning/ midday tv and countless ads for loans/debt busting. Anyway....

I've got a lot to thank the arrogant and pompous twat that is Jeremy Kyle for, Watching his show at 3am and abusing him and his rants was a large part of how my g/f came to be my g/f

On the plus side we have a tv in our rest room at work so if i'm working a late i can watch Neighbours during lunch Not quite the same i have to admit but it will have to do!

[Michael Hardman]

I've got a lot to thank the arrogant and pompous twat that is Jeremy Kyle for, Watching his show at 3am and abusing him and his rants was a large part of how my g/f came to be my g/f

On the plus side we have a tv in our rest room at work so if i'm working a late i can watch Neighbours during lunch Not quite the same i have to admit but it will have to do!

3am oh the good days of being woken up by the fire alarm, not being able to go to sleep so off I went to the computer rooms to do my dissertation.

Oh the memories, water fights, fire starting, drunkeness, back outs and booze, mooning from the wndow, cucking my tv from he roof (it was broken), riding ym biek in myroom the list goes on.

[Tomm]

I'm gonna miss the wake up just in time for neighbours lifestyle

Pfft, you got it too easy at uni. Tomorrow will be a lie in for me - I've only gotta be in at 9:30 rather than the usual 8:00 starts. I have to wonder what the hell arts students do with their time

[poopipe]

Pfft, you got it too easy at uni. Tomorrow will be a lie in for me - I've only gotta be in at 9:30 rather than the usual 8:00 starts. I have to wonder what the hell arts students do with their time

Thats easy

I was an art student for years - here's my day and a halfly routine (i used to run on a 36-40 hour day rather than the more conventional 24)

get up around 4pm

make reefer

make coffee

eat stale bread/stale toast depending on how good the skunk is

make more coffee

make reefer

watch pokemon for an hour

make coffee

go upstairs to computer

make reefer

draw some pictures / look at porn

make coffee

make reefer

draw some pictures / look at porn

make coffee

make reefer

go downstairs

eat bread & cheese

make coffee

make reefer

watch late night tv

make coffee

go upstairs to computer

make reefer

draw some pictures / look at porn

make reefer

watch sun come up

eat stale bread/stale toast

make reefer

wander to uni

attend weekly lecture

get coffee

make reefer

go to bar

drink beer

go home

go upstairs to computer

make reefer

draw some pictures / look at porn

make coffee

make reefer

go to bed around 4-6 pm

answer your question ?

[Michael Hardman]

Pfft, you got it too easy at uni. Tomorrow will be a lie in for me - I've only gotta be in at 9:30 rather than the usual 8:00 starts. I have to wonder what the hell arts students do with their time

I have to be in for 9 on most days and with catcing the train in as I'm iving at home for my postgrad course means I'm up at 6.15am every morning and out the house by 7.15am to catch 3 trains.

TdayI'm real pissed off as the Jubilee line was suspended as I got to the Stratford station then I went on the District line and as I get on there are servere delays joke.

I'm at uni till 4.30pm most days so its a long boring day with wrk when I get home.

I ave it hard for a year but I get paid for doing the course.

[Shez.sheridan]

I'm gutted, I've had to start making repayments on my loan - I was hoping to get to pensionable age without earning over the threshold...I think it gets anulled..