I ditched uni and by the age of 22 I have £40k in savings – the FOMO was bad but I know I made the right choice

A WOMAN who ditched university to do an apprenticeship has revealed how it allowed her to save £40k by age 22.

Gabriella Goddard-Palmer, 22, decided university wasn’t the route for her after realising that she was a practical learner.

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Instead of applying for university, Gabriella decided she wanted to do an apprenticeship and applied for a management consulting apprenticeship.

She started in September 2021, and immediately started earning £18,500 a year, and managed to put away around 65 percent for savings.

Once she finishes her apprenticeship, as well as learning practical skills from the job, she will have a formal degree.

Her salary has increased to £35k a year, and Gabriella has started multiple side hustles as an online creator and social media manager, earning her between £200 to £1,000 a month.

By the age of 22, Gabriella has been able to save £40k for safety and flexibility.

She said the only reason she was able to save was that she didn’t go to university.

Gabriella, an apprentice, from Bath, Somerset, said: “I wouldn’t be in the position I am if I went to uni.

“As a university student, it is very hard to save when you have so many expenses and a student loan.

“Financially, I wouldn’t be in the same position.

“Looking back, I do not regret what I did, and I am happy with my choice.

“In the beginning, I got FOMO, but in the long term, it has been the right decision.”

After sixth form, instead of going to university, Gabriella had decided that an apprenticeship was for her – as she didn’t like the idea of spending all day in a lecture hall.

Gabriella said: “I wasn’t much of a fan of sitting in classrooms and learning theory, so I thought a degree apprenticeship was the perfect option for me.

“I was able to get out there and start working, but also get a degree – having a degree is such a basic tick box these days that companies look for.”

While Gabriella didn’t consider student debt as a big factor in her decision, she says she liked the idea of being able to earn and save alongside her studies.

She said that entering the workplace earlier than her peers has made her more aware of money.

Gabriella said: “I always wanted to go into a high-earning job, and I knew that being able to save and earn while living at home would help me get there.”

When Gabriella first started her apprenticeship, she was making £18,500, which has gradually increased to an annual salary of £35k.

At the beginning, I definitely felt a lot of FOMO, especially seeing more friends move out and meet new people and living the university lifestyle.”

Alongside her day job she has multiple side hustles, from which she makes anywhere from £200 to £1000 per month.

Gabriella said: “Once I started creating content on TikTok and realising the different types of revenue avenues you can get from it, I started branching out a bit more and creating digital products – selling CV templates and apprenticeship preppers.

“I also ended up launching a social media management business – managing small businesses’ social media for them.

“Even if it doesn’t make me millions, it’s so rewarding.”

Gabriella taught herself how to invest her money in stocks by watching online videos during lockdown.

Her stock market portfolio increased by 27 percent last year – much more than it would have done had she put her money in a traditional savings account. She now uses her online platform to teach other young people about investment.

Gabriella said: “Especially among girls, personal finances and investing isn’t really a conversation people have.

“So I wanted to take what I’ve learned to inspire and help people, because it’s not spoken about enough.”

Initially, Gabriella said she would get FOMO (fear of missing out), especially when her friends moved away from home.

But after hearing friends complain in their third year of university about how they wish they had done an apprenticeship, Gabriella knew she had made the right decision.

She said: “At the beginning, I definitely felt a lot of FOMO, especially seeing more friends move out and meet new people and living the university lifestyle.

“But then once I realised how much experience I was getting and the different types of opportunities that going into the corporate world young brought me, slowly I didn’t care as much.

“It’s funny – at the beginning I’d be the one saying I wish I went to university, and my friends would be saying how great it is, but then as you get towards the end of their three years they’re saying they wish they’d done an apprenticeship and I’m the one saying, ‘yeah, I’m glad I did this’.”