London - the 'Big City', a glamorous cosmopolitan where dreams are fulfilled. To an extent, and for many, I am sure this is the case. Yet for us unfortunate few, whose rose tinted glasses have been severely dented, many aspects of London have failed to reach such high expectations. Undeniably, the opportunities available are incomparable to most other cities, explaining why many upon graduation flock to London, in hopes of securing invaluable training contracts or vacation schemes. However, it is time to put these things in perspective. Of course everybody should aim for the best; the best University, the best paid job. But are we overlooking perhaps the most important aspiration, to be happy? Is this really worth jeopardizing? Concerned that I am going to sound very much like my mother, but when old and grey are we really going to happily recollect the hours spent at a desk, overwhelmed with work, just to afford a flat in fashionable Mayfair? What is the point of money if you do not have the time to spend it with people you love, doing the things you love?
I can state all these points, yet I am sat writing this after a seven hour stint in the library, reading for an upcoming essay whilst contemplating my future (hence my attempts at justifying my reluctance in applying for jobs in the City). For it is not the workload I fear, although that is not the most reassuring prospect, it is the fear of failure which is most prominent in my critique of London. I envy those with connections, I envy those whom have had their futures mapped out from the age of ten. For these lucky individuals, I am sure London is a dream city, where their aspirations can be reached and their networking can continue. I am not criticising those in such an enviable situation, I am merely asserting that for those without such opportunities, London can be an incredibly foreboding and overwhelming place to study. The vast array of opportunities still limits many without connections, forming a disenchantment with a city that has the potential to offer so much. London evokes such high expectations that failure becomes more likely, and for that I have grown to loathe it. Yet, I cannot imagine studying or working anywhere else.
And for that, I greatly apologise to my elder self.
