Life after uni

Former Member

Today one my lecturers told me something a little depressing. My uni and one other in the country are apparently known as the graveyards of ambition because a fair whack of graduates take lower paying jobs just so that they can stay in the area.

How many of you stayed in the same area, or are planning to?

Me, I'm not sure. I think I could live here afterwards, but I think the city itself is not necessarily worth staying for, maybe for other reasons I'd stay.

Former Member

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Former Member

I am still in the same part of London... I had to, for financial reasons... A mate saved my ass.

Jobs around here are low pay, most people commute...

I feel happier here now though, as I have joined the gym and am cutting down on the beer.

Former Member

I gre up in london went to university in london and still live here - i'm probably not a good example though and london is hardly typical...

Former Member

I've been in London 5 years or so but i still don't feel like a Londoner, maybe because i've lived all over...had a pretty good time so far it's just a means to an end, will probably move back to the country in 2-3 years but the best IT jobs are in London for now. I know a few people moving over to Dubai soon so I think I know where my next move is....

Former Member

i studyed in leeds but moved away after. would have liked to stay because i love the city and i know so, so many people who have stayed in leeds and got any job just so they can stay there. but i'm going wherever's best for my career.

Olly_B

Marina Aniseed wrote: »

Today one my lecturers told me something a little depressing. My uni and one other in the country are apparently known as the graveyards of ambition because a fair whack of graduates take lower paying jobs just so that they can stay in the area.

I think that's a little one-sided argument.

I went to Bradford Uni which supposedly had one of the highest stay on rates in the country. But it also had one of the highest graduate employment rates for universities.

West Yorkshire had (and probably still has) lower than average salaries than say London, but it also had a lot lower cost of living. So like-for-like, graduates probably had more disposable income / better-quality-of-life than say those in London on a higher salary but a London cost-of-living.

I stayed up in West Yorkshire for 18-months after I graduated, and probably would have stayed longer had I not been offered a fantastic job in London.


Olly

Former Member

I don't really know what the whole salary/cost of living thing here is, that's just the way she put it. It's not the fact that people choose the stay that I found depressing, just the phrase 'graveyards of ambition'. Doesn't really fill you with confidence with you've only been here two weeks!

We will see what happens when the time comes...

Former Member

What do you study and what area are you reffering too?

Former Member

I'm studying American Lit with Creative Writing. I'm at Uni of East Anglia, the other supposed graveyard of ambition is Bath, if that helps at all.

Former Member

Marina Aniseed wrote: »

I don't really know what the whole salary/cost of living thing here is, that's just the way she put it. It's not the fact that people choose the stay that I found depressing, just the phrase 'graveyards of ambition'. Doesn't really fill you with confidence with you've only been here two weeks!

We will see what happens when the time comes...

UEA is supposed to be good, isn't it?

I don't think it would affect your employability, if that's your concern. What I would suggest though, is to get as much work and voluntary experience as possible.

Former Member

It's meant to be fairly good, yeah. I'm currently trying to get some sort of work at the mo, not going so well. I'm not worried about my employability (given the way things are going with jobs currently, I have little expectation of anything), just a little worried that I will never leave Norwich, which is what she was implying. I don't mind it, but it doesn't feel like home. Well maybe not yet

Former Member

everyone eventually leaves norwich if they aren't arty or a hippie. but i can guarentee almost that anyone that moves there will at some point end back there.

go into any book shop, cafe, gallery, library, etc in norwich are they are filled with art school and uea grads. Trust me i know this i spent most of my childhood there.

I am planning on staying in london, not this bit, cos nw really sucks big ugly 70's city centre architechture balls. But I know that i'll probably end up in the countryside above the lea valley or somewhere else i can buy land and build my house on in commuting distance. but who know what will happen once i've finished my Phd

Former Member

Ah, ok. I hadn't really noticed the number of post-UEA and art school people but as you mention it, of the people I've met that aren't at uni any more, they've all gone to UEA and not gone home yet. It's not a bad place but I'm not quite warming to it yet. Still, I'm here until 2012 at the earliest so may as well get used to it

And yeah, NW London isn't the most aesthetic place in the world.