Starting off your uni life as a fresher and benefiting from the fact that your first year grades do not count towards your final grade does indeed make you say that there could be nothing better than being a student. Living away from home, doing things your way, traveling and partying are all a dream come true but unfortunately, that dream will be over before you know it.
Alarm bells start to ring during your second year at university, perhaps after you have received your first semester results. This marks halfway of your experience at university and tells you that it is no longer the case to be indifferent to your education. You should start to focus more on your studies and perhaps even search for some sort of internship or part time job as your CV should show some working experience in order to improve your prospects of getting a job after finishing university.
Panic starts to set in when you start your third year at university as this is the time when job application should be completed and sent off to employers. Looking through a long list of graduate schemes will not help you much unless you apply early. Besides considering the financial reward, the major question that comes to you mind will probably be which city to live in after you graduate.
London is usually the first place that pops in a students mind due to most of the grad schemes being based in the capital. Why shouldn’t London be the right place to aim for as it is said that it provides the best career opportunities for progression on top of many lifestyle benefits. However, the disadvantage with London is that you may not be the only one thinking of moving there which is why year after year London has the highest concentration of graduates than any other region in UK. The competition for grad schemes in London is fierce. Moreover, another downside of moving to London is the rent which you will be paying which is often double what you would be normally paying in other important cities of UK. Lastly, you may find London to be really crowded and get a claustrophobic feeling. London is not for everyone so it is suggested you visit and see if you like the place first.
Meanwhile, Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham are alternative cities where most corporate industries have firmly established locations besides the headquarters in London. So for those who are not keen on paying half of their monthly salary on their rent and would like to stay away from long journeys to and from work, these cities present incredibly advantageous opportunities.
It is good to bear in mind these facts as your chances of obtaining your dream job may be higher if you look up north as well, not only focus on the capital. Enjoy the dream while you still can but don’t hold off on setting future plans in motion.