Am I ****ed for life?
I don’t know what to do. I am going to study Economics at UEA. I have failed to get into a Russell-group and by the looks of what people say on here, and what I’ve been told from previous posts, my chances at a high-paying finance job are near zero, let alone in London, where I have no chance. I’ve been told I have no chance at a masters post graduation as well, as these are also extremely competitive so from what I can see, even with a 1st class I have no chance in life. I’m only 18, how can i change this? Should I just not bother with UEA as it isn’t a target uni? Just give it to me straight no nonsense how can I save my life? I can’t afford to resit. Will anywhere take me with a 1st class degree or will the uni hold me back? This is ruining my mental health.
Original post by Anonymous
I don’t know what to do. I am going to study Economics at UEA. I have failed to get into a Russell-group and by the looks of what people say on here, and what I’ve been told from previous posts, my chances at a high-paying finance job are near zero, let alone in London, where I have no chance. I’ve been told I have no chance at a masters post graduation as well, as these are also extremely competitive so from what I can see, even with a 1st class I have no chance in life. I’m only 18, how can i change this? Should I just not bother with UEA as it isn’t a target uni? Just give it to me straight no nonsense how can I save my life? I can’t afford to resit. Will anywhere take me with a 1st class degree or will the uni hold me back? This is ruining my mental health.
First of all, congratulations on getting into UEA to study Economics! This is a great achievement and not something to feel disappointed in.
This is a post from a current student at UEA: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showpost.php?p=99698139&postcount=6
Employers will not be looking at which university you studied at, but instead the degree, what results you graduate with, relevant work/placement experience. Look at the course itself and see if it meets your expectations first and foremost.
Original post by Anonymous
I don’t know what to do. I am going to study Economics at UEA. I have failed to get into a Russell-group and by the looks of what people say on here, and what I’ve been told from previous posts, my chances at a high-paying finance job are near zero, let alone in London, where I have no chance. I’ve been told I have no chance at a masters post graduation as well, as these are also extremely competitive so from what I can see, even with a 1st class I have no chance in life. I’m only 18, how can i change this? Should I just not bother with UEA as it isn’t a target uni? Just give it to me straight no nonsense how can I save my life? I can’t afford to resit. Will anywhere take me with a 1st class degree or will the uni hold me back? This is ruining my mental health.
Hello
I think you've been given some poor advice in the past
You're 18, and whatever happens there are options out there for you.
Let's focus on the present first:
Do you want to study economics?
Do you like the look of UEA?
If the answer to those two questions are yes, then something is going well
In terms of future plans - the finance world is a tough nut to crack, but there will be some ways in when you get there (remember that's an obstacle for the future, not for right now). "Russell group" unis don't have anything special over non-RG unis for the vast majority of students. Most undergraduate experiences will be similar regardless of whether it's RG or not.
Plenty of finance "target unis" - not the same as RG; will take postgrad candidates from UEA.
The finance world is not closed to you.
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by Anonymous
I don’t know what to do. I am going to study Economics at UEA. I have failed to get into a Russell-group and by the looks of what people say on here, and what I’ve been told from previous posts, my chances at a high-paying finance job are near zero, let alone in London, where I have no chance. I’ve been told I have no chance at a masters post graduation as well, as these are also extremely competitive so from what I can see, even with a 1st class I have no chance in life. I’m only 18, how can i change this? Should I just not bother with UEA as it isn’t a target uni? Just give it to me straight no nonsense how can I save my life? I can’t afford to resit. Will anywhere take me with a 1st class degree or will the uni hold me back? This is ruining my mental health.
Hi there,
I'm really sorry you're going through a tough time at the moment. From the sounds of it, you've done extremely well in getting into UEA to study Economics, but you've been told that you're not going to be able to have a sustainable future in finance, which sounds really important to you.
I'm starting a masters in behavioural economics and data science at UEA this September after having done my undergraduate with them as well so I hope I can offer you some advice:
I wouldn't worry about UEA not being a Russell group. Employers are now far more interested in your skills and experiences than which university you graduated from. I spoke to some of the Economics lecturers at UEA while I was making a decision about my masters and know that they have really good links with local employers. For example, last year I was invited to attend a mini-conference which was an assessment component for an undergraduate module. They had both private organisations there as well as the NHS, Norfolk Council and the Royal Economic Society.
You mention you'd like a high paying finance job in the future but you don't feel like you've got any chance at working in London, and that you have no chance at a masters. I'm not sure where this has come from; I got a 2:1 in Psychology and got straight onto the UEA Economics masters course! And you will be in an even better position because you will have studied Economics.
So to give it to you straight, I think you are going to be absolutely fine. I know that's hard to hear from someone online when you've been told you don't have a future in the career you want to pursue, but UEA will not hold you back. I started there really worried about how I was going to cope with the course and am now preparing for a masters, a potential PhD, and have secured employment in the public sector through the university.
I'm more than happy to chat with you about this further if you'd like, whether its about your course or UEA. Similarly, if you'd like to speak to one of the economics lecturers to find out a bit more about career opportunities, I'm happy to arrange that.
You got this!
Grace
School of Economics
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by Anonymous
I don’t know what to do. I am going to study Economics at UEA. I have failed to get into a Russell-group and by the looks of what people say on here, and what I’ve been told from previous posts, my chances at a high-paying finance job are near zero, let alone in London, where I have no chance. I’ve been told I have no chance at a masters post graduation as well, as these are also extremely competitive so from what I can see, even with a 1st class I have no chance in life. I’m only 18, how can i change this? Should I just not bother with UEA as it isn’t a target uni? Just give it to me straight no nonsense how can I save my life? I can’t afford to resit. Will anywhere take me with a 1st class degree or will the uni hold me back? This is ruining my mental health.
UEA is ranked 21st in UK ranking, ahead of some Russell Groups uni’s so it ain’t even that bad.
The go get a degree to earn more money is a great big myth in 2024.
You've got two 13 year olds. One of them is conscientious and works hard in school and on their homework and exam revision. The other one tosses school off. Which of those is more likely to go to uni?
Which of those is more likely to get employed, promoted, to make a success of any business that they start?
If you have fragile mental health, you could be given an unconditional offer to study medicine at Cambridge and you're chances of success would be highly iffy. Due to the relatively high chance of you dropping out.
If you have fragile mental health, and you got a 1st in Economics from LSE, your career prospects would be less rosy than a clone of you that had iron cast mental health that never went to uni.
As a general thing in the UK, people over-estimate the importance of academic achievements and under-estimate the importance of personal qualities; when it comes to earning money and having a great working life.
If it looks like you won't be able to jump through the hoops of certain corporate employers, eg investment banks based in the City, try something else as a way to earn money.
In 2024 there are certain in demand skills. These are a mixture of high tech stuff that most people don't understand, and traditional trades such as plastering and plumbing that uni students tend to have no interest in. As well as the big skill of starting one's own business.
For the high tech stuff you can generally get a starter job in them with 3 month training, which can be self training with a bit of generating your own experience. From there, within a year or two it's common to move up to very good money earning. All without a degree.
For the traditional trades it will - probably - take longer to build up to high money earning, but at least you're earning money from the start.
For starting your own business, your first attempts may fail, but the potential rewards are greater than any other career route.
For you personally, I'd say that going to UEA is worth it. With you giving a very high priority to working on your mental health.
Because it seems that if you didn't go to UEA, there's too high a chance you'd sit around as a doley or be a minimum wage slave for 3 years. If you've got the drive, the determination, the enthusiasm, the persistence, the ambition to prove me wrong you shouldn't go to uni; you should take the non-uni route to starting your working life.
You've got two 13 year olds. One of them is conscientious and works hard in school and on their homework and exam revision. The other one tosses school off. Which of those is more likely to go to uni?
Which of those is more likely to get employed, promoted, to make a success of any business that they start?
If you have fragile mental health, you could be given an unconditional offer to study medicine at Cambridge and you're chances of success would be highly iffy. Due to the relatively high chance of you dropping out.
If you have fragile mental health, and you got a 1st in Economics from LSE, your career prospects would be less rosy than a clone of you that had iron cast mental health that never went to uni.
As a general thing in the UK, people over-estimate the importance of academic achievements and under-estimate the importance of personal qualities; when it comes to earning money and having a great working life.
If it looks like you won't be able to jump through the hoops of certain corporate employers, eg investment banks based in the City, try something else as a way to earn money.
In 2024 there are certain in demand skills. These are a mixture of high tech stuff that most people don't understand, and traditional trades such as plastering and plumbing that uni students tend to have no interest in. As well as the big skill of starting one's own business.
For the high tech stuff you can generally get a starter job in them with 3 month training, which can be self training with a bit of generating your own experience. From there, within a year or two it's common to move up to very good money earning. All without a degree.
For the traditional trades it will - probably - take longer to build up to high money earning, but at least you're earning money from the start.
For starting your own business, your first attempts may fail, but the potential rewards are greater than any other career route.
For you personally, I'd say that going to UEA is worth it. With you giving a very high priority to working on your mental health.
Because it seems that if you didn't go to UEA, there's too high a chance you'd sit around as a doley or be a minimum wage slave for 3 years. If you've got the drive, the determination, the enthusiasm, the persistence, the ambition to prove me wrong you shouldn't go to uni; you should take the non-uni route to starting your working life.
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