23, back from travelling, and can't afford a house in London

caronoel

This geography graduate from some cruddy northern ex-poly bemoans her lot:
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/apr/21/how-i-spend-it

Browntoa

And it's a story because ?

Im a born and bred Londoner but had to move to Kent in the 1980's as we couldn't afford to buy in London ( as did 2 of my brother's) .

Never could afford to move back

It's not a new thing , been happening for decades

Doozergirl

It doesn't sound like she's moaning, particularly. Just stating fact. It's an interview, that's all.

She got a first class degree, her head screwed on, has her first proper job with a respectable company with prospects. She probably will end up buying in London eventually.

AnotherJoe

Agreed, i see no sign of moaning, thats in the OPs mind..

Duckdodgers

'Some cruddy northern ex poly'. That is an unpleasant thing to say.

kabayiri

It's the kind of interview which needs a follow up I reckon.

She does indicate that her current job has support for further qualifications, which is good.

She doesn't give any idea as to what percentage increase in salary this would likely yield, or at how much personal additional cost.

There are some things I'd like to hear her views on, which are omitted. But she seemed pretty honest about things.

I joined a big company on a grad scheme. Most people knew that after 2 years you could expect to earn circa 50% more than your starting salary.

I wonder if she knows what she will be earning in a few years, and whether that will be enough to achieve her housing goals?

I have a feeling it's getting tougher.

westernpromise

I did a ski season in Val d!!!8217;Isère in France, which I paid for
Sounds all too plausible. I was a holiday rep as a student and was paid £100 a month. If we hadn't been skimming a commission changing money we'd have paid to be there.

economic

No idea why people read !!!! like this article - who cares?

Guardian seems to have a lot of these types of articles - don't read them myself - but looking at the titles, its always about some young person wanting to buy in London but cant at the moment. Its like the Guardian is trying to send out subliminal messages about London property being unfairly valued for young people.

Anyway i thought i just read the article for a laugh and i did. Doesn't seem like she is moaning but the "message" by the Guardian is pretty clear.

On a related but different topic - a Geography degree costing 40k in student loans is a complete rip off. She could have got her job without doing a degree. The only reason she needed to do a degree is because everyone else is doing one and so have to remain competitive. The education system at university level needs complete reform.

Cakeguts

Newcastle university isn't a crummy ex poly. It is a Russel Group university. The mistake she made was to not get a job in Newcastle or a town close by. They have jobs like the one she has got in other parts of the country apart from London. Also what she is doing is not a graduate level job so she could have got any non graduate level job anywhere else where she could afford to buy.

London has always been expensive. One of the reasons why jobs like the one she has got are easily available in London is because they are low paid. If you are going to be in a low paid job the trick is to get one in an area where the housing costs are low as well. As a Geography student you would think that she could work that out especially since she studied in Newcastle so would have known what rents were like there.

You can't actually help some people because they just don't do what is the sensible thing to do. Logic should tell people that a low paid job in a very expensive city is going to mean you can't afford to buy a house but somehow they seem to think that there isn't a problem with their lifestyle choices.

Basically any problem this 23 year old has in housing is down to her choice of where to work. Nothing to do with anyone else just her.

At least she managed to go to a "real" university.

economic

Cakeguts wrote: »

Newcastle university isn't a crummy ex poly. It is a Russel Group university. The mistake she made was to not get a job in Newcastle or a town close by. They have jobs like the one she has got in other parts of the country apart from London. Also what she is doing is not a graduate level job so she could have got any non graduate level job anywhere else where she could afford to buy.

London has always been expensive. One of the reasons why jobs like the one she has got are easily available in London is because they are low paid. If you are going to be in a low paid job the trick is to get one in an area where the housing costs are low as well. As a Geography student you would think that she could work that out especially since she studied in Newcastle so would have known what rents were like there.

You can't actually help some people because they just don't do what is the sensible thing to do. Logic should tell people that a low paid job in a very expensive city is going to mean you can't afford to buy a house but somehow they seem to think that there isn't a problem with their lifestyle choices.

Basically any problem this 23 year old has in housing is down to her choice of where to work. Nothing to do with anyone else just her.

At least she managed to go to a "real" university.

Geography is a Mickey Mouse course. A first in Geography means nothing.

kabayiri

economic wrote: »

Geography is a Mickey Mouse course. A first in Geography means nothing.

I had the 'benefit' of attending a few of these Universities recently where they were [STRIKE]selling[/STRIKE] oops promoting Geography (DD was considering it as a course).

I shall be frank, and of course there are exceptions, but ...

- they are more tuned up now as to how sell courses to people

- they claim that Geography gives a variety of technical skills which makes you a sort of Swiss Army Knife.

- they do showcase a couple of ex-students who are doing work in Geography. It is often very 'showy', with some young lad / girl doing GIS mapping in an exotic location.

Very few will find a career in GIS mapping going forward.

- they know how to appeal to the young prospective student. They get to meet happy students already on the course.

Perhaps I'm a cynic, but it felt like a shallow and empty sales pitch.

It's maybe unfair to judge this girl harshly. She was probably idealistic, and bought into the whole thing. She is one of many thousands to do so.

Once there, she did apply herself though. A 1st is something to be proud of. She could do no more.