University

[maggi200]

So this is intended as a discussion:

Do lots of people go to University because it is described as the only way to get anywhere in life? In some professions it can make it harder, and with many offering either very specific courses, and more and more courses, I believe it can make it harder for employers to find suitable candidates and harder for people to find jobs.

If I were interviewing, and having helped in this process before, I would definitely look for someone with work/voulnteer/real world experience, over someone who had gone to study and gained a 2:2 in something very specific like getting drunk for 3 years.

So those that have gone to uni, and those who still insist it doesn't matter what you study...

...have you found it easier or harder with the degree you have.

And those who chose not to go to university, have you found the lack of a degree holds you back at all in your chosen field?

 

[Araf]

Why does a country need 50% of the population with degree qualifications? University is just a way for politicians to keep numbers off the dole queue, and pile the debt for it back on the shoulders of the young (IMHO).

For 80% of people going through university, it will not boost their ability to earn more, just give them expectations above their ability.

 

[waitey]

I find a good work ethic better than any type of degree, I work alongside people I'm uni and those who went uni.

I didn't go uni but find working from a younger age I have a better work ethic than them and I'm progressing well enough at my work, albeit it's just retailing.

Degree or not if you persevere and graft through anything you will do well IMO, then you have a greater sense of achievement of yourself

 

[Dubz]

I think uni life is not just for the qualification. Of course it is the main reason but it also gives people skill in social environments, group work and living away from home (if your living away from home). I'm learning business at uni which means I should have the knowledge to start up a business in any sector, be able to control the finance within the business and know how to utilise a workforce(via HRM and implementing different methods of management). Obviously running a business would be better to learn all of this via trial and error but it's not viable because of finance risks. I'd prefer to learn at uni at £6000-9000 a year than to run the risk of learning by running my own business.

I don't know how much that helped but oh well

Araf - quite a few people go through uni without having debt however you wouldn't know that from reading newspapers

 

[Charliegee100]

It depends on what you want to do I think... I've been to Uni and studied HR but you can't really get far in HR without qualifications cos you need to understand the laws and theory behind it... I would agree that some jobs wouldn't need a degree and is sometimes better having experience is that area

Maggie I would just like to say that going to Uni isn't just about going out and getting drunk (albeit some students do see it that way) there is quite a lot of experience and knowledge to be learnt aswell

 

[Chicken]

Personally I think apprenticeships are better than university. I started to study my a-levels and didn't particularly want to go to uni. I got offered an apprenticeship where I had done some summer work and the a-levels were dropped quickly. Never regret the decision as now I have 4 and half years working experience and a foundation diploma making me fully qualified.
Also whilst at college I spoke to people that were on a full time course on the same subject as me. When comparing similar areas of work they would be able to suggest best possible methods and outcomes but when it came to the work they had no clue how to go about it properly.

 

[LUCY133CUP]

In my opinion it all depends on what you want to do and what you want to get out of it - ive just graduated with a first class degree in communications and got loads of experience in a working environment while I was there becoz i pushed myself to get work placements etc. (i do agree that some people just go to uni to drink/party etc. but the experience is what you make it)
I think apprenticeships are great too and offer just as much as a university degree, in some cases not so good though when the company that employs you doesnt have a job at the end for you :-/ some people i know have had this happen before theyve even got their full qualifications and been left 2 years down the line with nothing. Both offer people different things good topic! Thanks maggi

 

[Chicken]

I think apprenticeships are great too and offer just as much as a university degree, in some cases not so good though when the company that employs you doesnt have a job at the end for you :-/ some people i know have had this happen before theyve even got their full qualifications and been left 2 years down the line with nothing. Both offer people different things good topic! Thanks maggi

Yeah I suppose but you can get apprenticeships were in your contract your bound for a year or two after qualifying. I'm expected to stay 2 years after I passed but because I replaced someone who left this was a cheaper option for the employer to hire someone rather than get someone who is initially fully qualified.

 

[Kelly_GT]

I'm in an apprenticeship with Diageo and I think that they offer good opportunities for both Graduates and Apprentices. I think it's great starting out as an apprentice as I am getting lots of training from my employer which will hopefully give me greater advantages in progressing up the career ladder later on in life plus I am getting paid to learn and getting a HND in Biotechnology at the same time.

I feel that I possibly would have struggled if I had went to Uni as lots of my friends have just graduated and are really struggling trying to find a full time job and not to forget the debt they have accumulated since starting Uni ...

Referring to the question above, I think deciding to not go to Uni was a good choice for ME as I have been told my many of my peers at work that they will help me get to where I want to be in my career and Diageo is a great company to do so in. Many 'big wigs' at my work started off as apprentices so I don't see why I can't get to where they are if they could do it

 

[pritchp]

I decided to not go to Uni, I didn't struggle to get a job and ended up working in an accountancy firm who paid for my training and entered me in for exams to obtain a professional qualification.
I feel uni isn't what it used to be especially with the range of courses offered. To me, everyone Seems to view uni as a no brainier and not an option whereas in reality that's not the case. Many employers look at experience and not always what educational qualification that person has.

But hey what do I know.... I now serve chicken or beef at 38,000ft and LOVE my life

 

[tommy89]

very easy - uni helped a lot. a lot of wasters go to uni and come out with the drinkers degree ... a 2:2 in some rubbish course that will get them nowhere.

I am now a primary school teacher thanks to going to uni doing a job that I love and was worth every penny. I have done some jobs that you can get without going/ doing an apprenticeship and to be quite honest they were boring as hell (shop assistant, bar worker, cinema supervisor )

If I were interviewing for my current job (which I have) the person wouldn't even get a look in without the relevant qualifications ... but on top of that, we expect appropriate work experience.

swings and runabouts

 

[Penn]

If your future job NEEDS a degree, go to uni as you cannot move into your preferred career without one (health professional, lawyer, teacher etc).

If you don't know what your future job/career is, don't go to uni. It's a waste of money and valuable time that you could spend gaining experience in the right places.

Degrees mean absolutely nothing for the large majority of 'normal' jobs and employers will not simply pick someone over another person because they have a degree on their CV. I've interviewed countless people and qualifications are the very last thing you take into account.

I didn't go to college, or 6th form, or uni and I hold a respectable job in IT with brilliant future prospects. Bottom line, work hard and you'll be rewarded, degrees are very, very over rated.

 

[Araf]

Araf - quite a few people go through uni without having debt however you wouldn't know that from reading newspapers

I know. My eldest came out of uni without debt - but that doesn't mean it didn't cost me dearly. :roll:

 

[Zoe]

Well I agree with Penn's comments on this one.
I myself didnt go and Im doing alright lol

 

[Dubz]

I'm glad I'm doing a HnD rather a degree as it works out £6000 cheaper over the 3 years.

No one has seemed to have spoken about connections. Connections I think are just as important to getting a job as uni degrees/qualifications or apprenticeships.

There's many external factors to getting jobs than just experience or qualification

 

[Araf]

No one has seemed to have spoken about connections. Connections I think are just as important to getting a job as uni degrees/qualifications or apprenticeships.

You're quite right. In fact, connections can probably do you a lot more good than the degree - as long as you have the ability.

 

[heckler]

I went to Uni in 1996 came out with a BEng (Hons) in Electronic engineering. In 1996 I was told "get a degree and you can get any job you want" we'll, 3 years late, piece I paper in hand... Could I get a job - No. I applied to almost 100 companies, and got 3 interviews. In that 3 year period, companies did a 180 degree change and decide they wanted people with experience more than education.

Now, if I could go back and and do it differently? Hell No. I enjoyed my 3 years, met my fiancé now have an interesting job!

 

[MovingShadow]

Had a discussion with my brother about this who lives in the UK himself.

I asked him how everything is handeled in the UK regarding children, education & health.

To make it short:

Belgium has a good and cheap education system => well educated people, speaking multiple languages and get easily send to other countries in the entire world for their felixibilites

UK has a very expensive education system => but the social security is more.. paying.. you get more rewareded and funded by the goverment for having children so lots of uneducated people who just breed like rabbits.

Not that I'm saying, that if you haven't done college or university that you're stupid..
I had my chances after 3 years of college and I waisted them. Still I've found a reasonible good job.

Not that I want to say that the UK is terrible, I love it there, friendly people, good food, nice country but if you walk the streets (in general) I wonder if some heard of birth control or anticonception.

 

[DrDrew]

I'm a bit of an academic at the moment, so I quite value a university degree, but they do have their place. There are many courses/subjects where it is clearly much more valuable to have the experience and do an apprenticeship etc.

I would say that just going to university and doing "any old degree" whilst you make up your mind on what you want to do is quite the waste of your time and money. However, if there's something you actually want to do then go for it.

Personally, my (first) degree got me a long way in industry, and even further in the academic world. And I'm not saying this is the case for everyone, but in my old industry I know of lots of people who had learned on the job, sort of re-training from other areas really, and particularly when something wasn't working they didn't have so much background knowledge to be able to properly fix everything, whereas from training I had on/around my degree, I did.

This obviously won't apply everywhere, but clearly in the right areas someone with a good degree can be very valuable.

 

[nick7]

I never went to Uni because when i was at School i hated the whole thing and left as soon as i was aged which was half way through 5th year (its Scotland School years different to english). i probly should have stayed and took the extra grades but i never.

I went into a Get to work Scheme with a Local Painter and Decorator as thats what i was keen on doing. i was there for around 6months and employer decided to give me a Apprenticeship which was happy days for me.

4 years on ive now Passed the Skills Test (end of Apprenticeship test that you have to sit to show that you are good standard at the job). i find myself without a secure job as employer just hasent got enough work to keep me going aswell as himself and dont have a clue what do do now. Struggling to see any jobs id be good at.