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Readjusting to life after your masters program: Moving back home after your masters degree
One of the perks of doing a postgraduate degree is that you get to go back to university and all the perks that brings. If you opt to start your postgraduate program immediately after your undergraduate program this will mean you also neatly avoid the “Do I move back in with my parents?” quandary faced by many on the receipt of their BA or BSc.
Ultimately, though, when it comes to this thorny question you can run but you can’t hide. It’ll still be there when you’re a Master of Science or a Doctor of Philosophy with increased debt to repay. Once you have graduated as a fully fledged postgraduate, it may be tempting to hotfoot it to the bright lights of the big city at the earliest opportunity, however practicalities (i.e. money) can throw a spanner in the works. Furthermore UK students face the further decision of whether to stay in the UK or move back to the motherland. When everything is taken into consideration, you will often be pointed in a common direction – back to your family home.
Moving home after your degree
Whether you simply live at home in the interim period before your job starts, or are there indefinitely until someone deems you employable, it can be a bit of an adjustment especially for postgraduates who are that bit older and self-reliant. However it shouldn’t be regarded as a step back – living with the parents allows you to save loads of money that would otherwise disappear on rent and food, never to be seen again. Also if you are earning money during this time you can rack up a nice little nest egg for when you do branch out on your own. Increasing your eventual financial comfort will be definitely worth the early starts that shock the systems of students accustomed to lie-ins!
International students
International students who hail from countries outside the EU need to consider whether they want to stay in the UK or return home after concluding their degrees. For those wanting to remain here there are various immigration hoops to jump through, which can be a bit of a palaver. You’re probably on a student visa currently, which will expire when your course finishes, so, obviously it is necessary to change this before you find yourself being deported! If you are applying for jobs check if your potential employers can sort you out with a UK work permit – if you already have a job lined up chances are you have already taken care of this. Another option is a visitor visa, though this only allows you to stay in the UK temporarily and doesn’t cover working.
It is worth bearing in mind that going back home after studying in the UK may be a bit of a culture shock after immersing yourself in and getting used to life and study in Britain. You may find you have turned into a complete Anglophile, pining for the quirks and foibles of the British way of life. Alternatively the perpetual grey skies and unreliable public transport may have made you appreciate your native country more than ever, so your acclimatisation is no problem at all!
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