College Degrees and Changing Dreams

Amara

Welcome back to ‘Respectfully... Nah’. I’m Amara...

Mina

with me, Mina, and today we’re talking money.

Amara

For sure! So today’s episode is hitting a little close to home for both of us. Mina, you remember when our parents—or, like, every auntie and uncle at every holiday—would go on about, “Just get your degree, you’ll be set for life”? Like, proper old-school advice.

Mina

Oh my god, all the time. “Go to college, get a good job, and you’ll never have to struggle.” They made it sound like the golden ticket. Funny enough, I still got that speech last Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, Sallie Mae just keeps saying, “Pay up.”

Amara

Yeah, it sounded so simple—like, linear, and…honestly, kinda hopeful. My mum, bless her, was in bits watching me cross that graduation stage. But somewhere between tossing my hat and my third “entry-level” rejection letter, reality hit. The stats now? In the UK and US, student debt is at an all-time high, and a lot of us are technically working, but underemployed—or just, not in the fields we were promised.

Mina

It’s wild. Over 40% of recent US grads are in jobs that didn’t require a degree. I saw something similar for the UK. And, like, everyone’s drowning in debt—average student loans are high enough to fund a Gen Z wedding and a honeymoon in Tulum.

Amara

Or three, depending on what TikTok says counts as a wedding these days! But, seriously, the promise and the reality don’t line up. My mum always wanted better for me—like, “If you get that degree, you’ll never work as hard as I did.” Except, sometimes it feels like I’m working twice as hard for half as much. Every job application asking for “two years’ experience”—but how was I meant to get it? Mmm, sorry, let me not rant.

Mina

No, rant! Because honestly, the expectations game is a trip. You grow up thinking there’s a formula. But now, the rules keep changing and the goalposts move just when you get close. We’re living in this weird aftershock where the dream our parents sold us just…doesn’t cash out the same way.

Mina

So let’s talk real careers—because the old-school “work your way up the ladder” kinda…broke? Most of us are ladder-hopping or just…sideways crawling. I did, what, three internships in college—one paid in lunch, literally—and landed my first job making less than my rent cost. NY hustle means, “How many gigs can you juggle before you drop?”

Amara

I feel you—over here it’s, “How many short-term contracts can you line up before you’re considered a ‘reliable team player?’” NHS jobs, especially junior ones, are mad competitive. My mate went from one hospital to another, only to wait six months for a permanent spot, still living with her parents. But try explaining that to your family—“You’re a graduate, why aren’t you sorted yet?” They look at you like you’re in witness protection or something.

Mina

Yo, exactly! When I made that reel—remember?—the one about hustling three gigs at once, answering emails for a startup at 9, storyboarding at noon, then being the ‘content girl’ at an after-school program by 4pm? Went viral because everyone was in the comments like, “I’m living this. Why is it so normalized to struggle?” And then you have to explain to your mom for the hundredth time, “No, I can’t just ‘work harder’ and magically retire by 40.”

Amara

Working hard doesn’t always translate to wages going up, either. I mean, wages have been mostly flat when you adjust for cost of living. So you get these boomers giving “just stick with it” advice when, for us, sticking with it might just mean you’re…stuck. That’s why everyone I know’s got a side hustle, or, like, two.

Mina

And sometimes those side hustles aren’t even about extra cash—they’re about survival, covering basic bills or healthcare. Makes you question the whole system and—sorry, now I’m the one sounding like I need a conspiracy board! But seriously, there’s this unspoken pressure to always be “doing more” when, honestly, it’s not always about our effort. The game changed, and no one’s really honest about that at family dinner.

Amara

Honestly, that’s a good jumping off point—to talk about redefining what “success” actually means. ‘Cause if we’re measuring happiness by old metrics—like, owning a three-bed house by 30—we might end up feeling rubbish for no reason. We gotta shift what counts. For me, finding purpose in my work, even if it’s not glamorous—or sometimes, even well-paid—still gives me more satisfaction than ticking boxes, you know?

Mina

Yeah, agreed. I started asking myself, am I successful because of my job title, or because I can vibe with my people and sleep at night without stress-eating? It took me a while to realize I care way more about creative fulfillment and supporting my community than flexing my bank account—though, not gonna lie, money peace is real! But sometimes success is being able to say no to toxic gigs, or setting real boundaries like, “after 7pm, I’m not answering emails.”

Amara

Exactly! Mental health can’t be an afterthought. And building a network that actually lifts you up—beyond just LinkedIn “connections”—makes such a difference. Even sharing experiences like this, having honest chats, helps. Like in our ‘Family Myths’ episode, how breaking the silence around struggle was its own form of success for a lot of us.

Mina

That’s the move—giving ourselves and each other permission to define winning on our own terms. Whether it’s by making impact, prioritizing health, or slowing down. It’s wild, but sometimes your biggest flex is resilience, not your salary or number of followers. Maybe listeners can think about what actually brings them joy and build from there—not just what looks good on paper.

Mina

So, let’s get practical, ‘cause this is the part nobody warned us about: how are we supposed to handle all this money uncertainty? For real, I had to teach myself how to budget and what consolidation even meant. Student loans are like a second rent, so you gotta get very real, very fast—track your spending, consolidate if you can, and please, y’all, try not to ignore those interest rates, even though it’s tempting. They do not disappear.

Amara

I’m with you. Building up a little savings buffer felt impossible at first, but even a tiny emergency fund is better than nothing. I learned to put away what I could—even £10 a week sometimes—and looked into all the free apps and resources online for managing money. And honestly, don’t be afraid to ask for advice from experts, or even mates who are more clued up. Financial literacy is not something most of us got in school but it’s so key now—especially with the way prices keep jumping.

Mina

And, like, finding ways to make your money work a bit harder—maybe freelance, maybe investing in something safe, if you can. The little streams add up. Main thing is staying informed and adapting, even if the numbers scare you at first. We’re all learning on the fly here.

Amara

We really are. I guess if there’s one thing from today’s episode we want folks to remember, it’s—give yourself grace. The old blueprint’s expired, but you can draw your own. And we’ll be navigating it right alongside you, promise. Mina, think we’ll finally solve it all by next week?

Mina

Girl, maybe by 2040, if the Bitcoin gods allow. But for now, we’ll keep it real, keep it honest, and keep the convo going. Catch y’all next time—Amara, always love doing this with you.

Amara

Ditto, Mina. Take care, everyone. Until next episode, “respectfully…nah!” Bye!