Talking Money

Raz: My first degree was a masters degree in Maths and Physics at UCL.

Alex: I studied Business Management at the University of Surry.

Holly: I went to Oxford Brooks.

Aaron: I'm studying Fine Art.

Mike: I'm a Law Student from Nottingham.

Rosie: I'm studying at Guild Hall.

Jemma: I did a four year course.

Claire: I'm in my second year of Fine Art.

Sarah: I'm studing at LSE at the moment.

Jana: Modern European Studies.

Vinit: UCL

Ursula: University Collage London.

Nathan: I studied in Adelaide.

Lucy: And I studied Sociology there.

The undergraduate's view

Mike: I chose Law because I wanted to do something challenging, however it is a 3 year course with a further 3 year commitment. After my first 3 years I'll go on to do an another course called a BAR vocational course. Following that I"ll be working closely with barristers, shadowing them and seeing what they do for a living.

Interviewer: Do you know what the cost implications of that would be?

Mike: Obviously the normal cost of a degree, on top of that the BAR vocational course is around £14,000, which I'll have to find funding for.

I should be earning anything between £40,000 and a £120,000 a year. Any investment in my future will definitely be worth it.

The graduate's view

Alex: I chose my course because I was told it was very entrepreneurship based. I wanted to be in control of my own learning but I also wanted to be ready to start my own business when I finished my degree.

I chose the University of Surrey because of its proximity to London, the fact that I had a friend there who said that it was a good place to go to, and also because it was campus based.

Well I hoped I'd be earning in excess of £20,000 when I graduated.

Interviewer: Can I ask you a personal question?

Alex: You may.

Interviewer: What are you earning?

Alex: I currently earn £19,000. It's the people that I've met and the skills that I've learnt outside of the class room that have helped the most.

The post grad's view

Raz: My post graduate was in something different to my degree, it was actually a PGC which is a course that gets you into teaching. I did my course at Middlesex University.

The post-grad experience was quite different from my main university experience because the course was only for a year, so it was quite intense, there was a lot of assignments, a lot of work placement as well, but it was obviously different because I was getting paid to do it as well so there's more incentives to work even harder.

You wanna be in a job where you learning something new every single day and that's exactly what I do when I'm teaching. You have moments where the children make you laugh, they say the funniest things it's unbelievable. And you have moments where it's hard work but at the end of the day the reward, the satisfaction - it's an amazing feeling.

What, where and why, part 1

Rosie: I'm studying at Guild Hall, and I'm training to be a classical singer. It's a four year course and I'm in my first year.

Being at Guild Hall is really amazing, being in the heart of London as well there's so many opportunities.

The course is quite varied, we have singing lessons, language classes, dance and movement.

Everything is based on learning how to be a better performer. People tend to be a lot more sensible than a lot of students because, especially as a singer, your body is your instrument so you have to take care of it.

What, where and why, part 2

Jana: I'm studying German, Spanish and Politics and my degree is called Modern European Studies.

You can try all the things that you've always wanted to try but never had the chance. The UK is definitely the best place for international students to study, it has some of the best universities in the world. For students it's perfect, because it has nature, and it has clubs, it has culture.

The academia is very strong, if I compare it to my country then it's..., you can't even compare it.

What, where and why, part 3

Ursula: My name is Ursula, I'm doing medicine at UCL, University College London.

My first degree was Molecular Cell Biology and it was a 3 year BSE course.

A medical degree is a really demanding degree you'll probably be in most hours of the working day so 9 til 5 standardly, and it varies as you go into clinics as well but it is definitely a really intensive course but you still find time to have fun.

In terms of earning hopefully in 5 years when I finish my medical degree I'll be on roughly £25-30,000 and 5 years later if I progress onto a consultant level I'll be earning between £60-100,000 so it should definitely be enough to fund me eating out like I do now.

Investing in your future

Sarah: OK, tell me when to start, directions please. Hi I'm Sarah, I'm studying at the London School of Economics in my first year.

Mike: I should be earning anything between £40,000 and a £120,000 a year.

Ursula: 5 years later if I progress onto a consultant level I'll be earning between £60-100,000 so it should definitely be enough to fund me eating out like I do now.

Vinit: Education, as my dad once said, is one of the best investments you can make. Research your course and talk to as many people as you can because it's one thing you wouldn't want to get wrong.

Mike: Any investment in my future will definitely be worth it.

Claire: Money is always an issue, it does get me down sometimes 'cos I'm thinking what am I going to do if I don't have money, but what am I going to do if I don't have this career, what will I have for myself.

Top tips

Umut: OK...Umut's tops tip, Umut's tops ti...(laughter)

Vinit: Vinit's top tips are, 1 learn how to cook.

Alex: No 2 is to be friend's with your bank....no that's rubbish.(Laughter) Keep on top of your finances, the more you keep on top of it the better.

Jana: Don't be afraid to try new things.

Jemma: Get to like jacket potatoes, they're really cheap, they're healthy...

Jana: I haven't thought about it really, I have to think about it sorry. No 4....

Alex: is to keep your ear to the ground, there are so many opportunities out there while you're at university and the time goes so quickly so take advantage of that time and go for any opportunity that you possibly can.

Jana: Study more.

Mike: My top tip would be, if you are a smoker, stop smoking now.

Jana: Erm...make erm, make new friends.