u/Berserk2408

So for context I'm 25M and living in London (thankfully live at home).

I have a bachelor's in computer science from a pretty bad university but have a master's data science from a top 10 uni. In terms of my work experience I worked 2 years as a software engineer at a large engineering company working on the backend of their internal platform (predominantly Java and Spring Boot).

Around 8 months ago in September I got a job at a tech consultancy as a developer working for public sector clients whereby I've finished 2 projects already and have moved onto a 3rd project. For this role I mainly use a Scala and Play framework stack (mix of back end and front end).

So the thing I'm asking is am I being underpaid for the work I'm doing and my level of experience? In the engineering company I was getting paid 36k but a lot of it was spent commuting out of the city to the site. This current job is 40k however the commute is much better and I only have to be in around 2 times a week. Only downside is the salary review is in December so I'm gonna have to wait till the end of the year for any feasible pay rise.

I'm 25 and essentially I feel extremely depressed about the situation of my life right now and I realise truly how much happier I was when I was going to a proper university for the first time and having the real university experience.

For context I did bad on my A-levels during my bachelors degree and this led me to going to a pretty bad university in London where I'm from. I also mainly lived at home during this period because my parents convinced me it would be too costly to move out and this led me to be really socially isolated and I would do nothing except just go to lectures, go home and repeat.

When I graduated I thought about doing a masters at Bristol Uni and I went for it, had an amazing year and finally got to experience what the true university life was like both academically and socially. I felt like I was so proactive with my education living on campus, I'd be studying every day and going to as many extra curriculum classes for my course as possible and then doing lots of social things in terms of university societies, meeting other people and making lots of friends and this is probably the happiest I've ever been in my life.

But it just ended really quickly and although I managed to get a good corporate job that I've been in for 2 years now (moved back to London), I feel like life feels extremely dull, I feel dissociated, none of my mates have time to hang out, I try to go to lots of social activities like group hikes, work football socials and these are ok for surface level friendships but people don't have interest for anything deeper. These days I really don't do anything except work, gym, and repeat.

I really want to consider maybe asking my job (I work in a company that has lots of connection in the UK and EU) if they could sponsor me for another masters (there are specific courses I am interested in both the UK and EU) I really miss education, the overall university environment and I want to properly experience it before it is too late and I have other responsibilities.

This situation feels so fucked and I need to hear your opinions on it.

Saturday night someone who I consider a good friend hosted a poker night with some of us. I was messaging some girl from hinge on Instagram (we hadn't met yet) and we wanted to meet that night however my friends (mix of genders btw) suggested I invite her to poker so I'd have more time to play and then go out with her afterwards. My friend who hosted was also hyping me up before meeting her and shit. So she took an Uber from opposite ends of the city to see me and we vibed pretty well plus initially she seemed into me. We then finished up the poker and most of the guys went home so it ended up being just me, my best mate, her and the host.

We went to this club and it was alright like we made out and danced, I noticed that the host was being pretty friendly with her and conversating a lot but didn't think much of it I basically had my guard down cause you know he's my boy who I trusted. However after the club finished and we went back to his I noticed he was constantly speaking with her, kinda rizzing her up and I legit couldn't even get a word in just felt like crazy levels of cock blocking. She went to the toilet and took him aside telling him to back the fuck off and he gave a half assed apology saying oh sorry I'm down bad and then carried on when she came back.

I wanted to just fuck him up at his house but his parents were home sleeping so I didn't, I just said fuck this and went home and she stayed the night and ended up sleeping in the same bed with her.

It's just such fucking snakey behaviour and I'm so angry at the guy, he's been getting a roasting from everyone in our friend group about it however because he's been an otherwise good friend in the past 2.5 years I've known him I'm willing to give him a chance to talk. But yeah I don't know what to do honestly.

L: 6.2"

G: 5.3"