Undergrads, what's your feelings about the future?

I'm talking financially.

I started my undergrad back in 2012 and I remember after my parents dropped me off to my halls, the first thing I did was go to Tesco and I came out thinking "damn was expensive". I couldn´t save anything back then and I only started to have a decent amount of savings during my PhD as I was living in a really cheap student accomodation.

Since finishing the PhD two years ago, I'm back to square one as my living costs have increased rapidly. I am living alone and my rent and bills are off the roof. I also spent six months out of work after I got my PhD which ate up all of my savings. Since then, I have been really struggling to save due to the increase cost of living and also I admit that I have spent on non-essentials too. I mean I can get by month by month, but I just can't save the same way that I used to during my PhD.

I just didn't think I would be in this position as a 19 year old back in 2012.

Honest question to current undergrads, how do you see your financial future?

Reply 1

Noice_1

I'm not undergrad yet, but going to that position this year in September. I'm going into medicine (so happy), and honestly I'm really worried. As a future doctor, that will, in 5 years be graduating and doing Foundation Years in the UK, the pay is not close to be comfortable with, and I doubt it will be enough to raise a family. (worse as I am international student). So I'll have to rely on my parents even more, which is not good, as they are also being strained by today's rising costs (They live in Canada, and cost is rising there too). Sometimes I wonder If I'll ever be financially free and comfortable or if I'll always be requiring funds from my parents. Sometimes I wonder about the worst case scenario where my prents cant fund med school (which would destroy both me and my parents mentally).

But, as a positive and optimistic individual, I really do think it will get somewhat better, it's a matter of when though

(edited 9 months ago)

Reply 2

UnemployedPhd

Original post by Noice_1

I'm not undergrad yet, but going to that position this year in September. I'm going into medicine (so happy), and honestly I'm really worried. As a future doctor, that will, in 5 years be graduating and doing Foundation Years in the UK, the pay is not close to be comfortable with, and I doubt it will be enough to raise a family. (worse as I am international student). So I'll have to rely on my parents even more, which is not good, as they are also being strained by today's rising costs (They live in Canada, and cost is rising there too). Sometimes I wonder If I'll ever be financially free and comfortable or if I'll always be requiring funds from my parents. Sometimes I wonder about the worst case scenario where my prents cant fund med school (which would destroy both me and my parents mentally).
But, as a positive and optimistic individual, I really do think it will get somewhat better, it's a matter of when though

Interesting. Loads of my mates did medicine and they are all complaining that the pay is just not valued the same way that it used to be.It's a long slog and some of them are specialising for 7 years after finishing their F2s.

It's crazy that the doctors that I knew in the previous generation or the generation before that could live comfortably on single incomes.