to degree or not to degree

Before I started University I was fully aware of the unemployment crisis regarding graduate students which was in full swing across the UK. However, I never truly believed I would ultimately suffer; my narcissism slowly peeking through. There are hundreds of statistics of unemployed graduates online, The Guardian posted in 2013 that half of UK graduates are either stuck in low paid jobs or unemployed. So is a degree really worth the shiny paper it's printed on or are we crucially wasting our time and a shit load of money? To degree or not to degree... that is the question!

Students will ultimately spread their academic wings, eager to finally land their amazing, dream, high paying job. Hey, you've got a degree, so that should be a walk in the park right? Ahem no. What students are blissfully unaware of is the most realistic situation for them, which will actually be leaving University with a total debt of around £44,000, and painfully being unable to attain a menial, retail job.

Talking with experience, I recently graduated University with a 2:1 Honours degree in Magazine Journalism; meaning no more late nights partying studying, or drinking endless amounts of vodka coffee to keep myself awake whilst completing my deadlines. Yes, it caused me to break out, have horrendously dark circles as I was arduously creating my dissertation; whilst many of you were soaking up the sun, eating ice lollies and having a jolly-good time! But I ultimately believed I would be chuckling, drinking my mojito, and tweeting, "screw you bitches!" after I landed my dream job. What I did not vision for myself, would be sitting on my backside, watching the whole two seasons of 'Orange Is The New Black' and eating my bodyweight in junk food.

I guess the biggest setback to the situation is living in Manchester; yes I love chips and gravy! Writing jobs are mainly situated in the capital, London.

Ok, so I will share a secret with you, I had a plan; man-with-a-plan. Secure myself a retail job, mainly working in fashion for the discount experience, work for over year and then eventually, when I was able to fund it, move to London and work my arse off in the media. How difficult would that be? I have a degree remember...

There’s nothing like a hundredth job application to add colour to this quotidian ritual. Many thoughts have entered my head, have I been blacklisted? Is my name too lower class? I have even tried using my middle name, just to add a bit of jazz to my applications, tonight Matthew I am going to be... Kristian Alexander!

I've lost count of the amount of group interviews I've attended, vaguely chatting to the other candidates; who are mainly 16-18! After the awkward ice-breakers and tedious and repetitive fake laughs for the interviewers appalling bad jokes I am ultimately unsuccessful, a bittersweet moment when you know the other candidates are fresh out of their school uniforms. What happened to employing the strongest candidates?

I guess I will just have to wait patiently and hopefully my dream job will come along. I guess the worst thing about this whole situation is that I have no more episodes of Orange Is The New Black to delve into!